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American TV personality KELLY RIPA has brushed off reports she’s splitting from her husband of 12 years, actor MARK CONSUELOS.
Tabloid reports suggested Ripa walked out on Consuelos over his alleged involvement with "other women".
But the star, who co-hosts U.S. chat show Live with Regis & Kelly, has hit back at allegations made by The National Enquirer this week (begs01Dec08).
A spokesperson for Ripa tells Usmagazine.com, "The Enquirer runs the story on a regular basis. There is no truth. They make this stuff up." The couple share three children, Michael, 11, Lola, seven, and Joaquin, five.

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Veteran actress BEA ARTHUR is to be inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame.
The Golden Girls star, 86, was approached in 2003 to join past inductees including Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby, but initially turned down the offer.
She remembers, "I said, ‘So sorry, very nice of you, but I can’t possibly accept. There are so many talented people in the business.’ "When I hung up, I thought, ‘Why the hell did I do that?’ I had vaguely heard that George C. Scott had turned down the Academy Award, which I thought was kind of cool." Additional honorees at the upcoming ceremony will include TV and movie writer Larry Gelbart, late talk show host/producer Merv Griffin, writer-producer Sherwood Schwartz and former Capital Cities/ABC executives Thomas Murphy and Daniel B. Burke.
TV Academy chairman and CEO John Shaffner adds, "It’s so important to hold up great examples of people who have done something exceptional. It not only reminds us of what can be accomplished but it inspires us." Arthur’s Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for 9 December (08) in Beverly Hills, California.

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Former child star HALEY JOEL OSMENT quit alcohol at the age of 18, after he was caught driving drunk in Hollywood in 2006.
The Sixth Sense actor was deeply shamed by the incident, which earned him a hefty fine and probation, as well as a mandatory rehab stint and Alcoholics Anonymous course.
Osment vowed to stop drinking completely until he turns 21 and is able to buy his own booze legally.
Two-and-a-half years on, the actor is approaching the landmark - he turns 21 in April 2009 - and he is proud to have confronted his demons and served his punishment.
He say, "It was an example of someone just out of high school being extremely irresponsible. There’s no excuse for that.
"I learned my lesson. I made a bad decision, and it’s something you can’t run from."

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Actor MARK RUFFALO’s brother is reportedly in a critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
Reports at Entertainment Tonight indicate the Zodiac star’s brother, Scott, was found shot following an incident in Beverly Hills, California earlier this week (begs01Dec08).
A police investigation surrounding the incident is reportedly underway.
No further details were available as WENN went to press.

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JENNIFER HUDSON’s former brother-in-law has been denied bail - one day after he was officially charged with the murders of the singer/actress’ mother, brother and nephew.
William Balfour, who was married to the Oscar winner’s sister, Julia, was charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion on Tuesday (02Dec08).
According to website TMZ.com, Balfour was denied bail at a hearing in Chicago on Wednesday (03Dec08).
The accused and his family maintain he had nothing to do with the October (08) slayings, even though Illinois police reportedly linked him to the gun which killed Hudson’s family members.
Balfour was held in custody in Stateville Correctional Center on a violation of parole leading up to the charges; he was transferred to police custody on Monday (01Dec08).

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PUSSYCAT DOLLS star ASHLEY ROBERTS misses her boyfriend so much when the group are on tour, she puts on shows for him over the internet.
Roberts is often away for weeks on end with the girl group - and she admits that conducting a long-distance relationship is difficult.
She tells Britain’s OK! magazine, "It’s hard being away from him. The internet is my saviour - I have a webcam and I put on shows. You just want to touch them though."

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R&B star AKON is convinced going on tour with NELLY, T-PAIN and PHARRELL WILLIAMS will be a breeze - because the hip-hop stars are all so humble.
Nelly revealed his plans to join forces with his fellow rappers on a new record last month (Oct08).
And Akon is eager to get everyone on stage - insisting the collaboration will be a hit with fans.
He says, "If we decide to do a project, a tour will follow behind it. I think that’s one of the main reasons of doing it." The Smack That hitmaker is quick to add the supergroup won’t follow in the steps of hip-hop heavyweights Jay-Z and R. Kelly - whose Best of Both Worlds tour was sabotaged after an alleged feud between the pair.
He tells WENN, "I don’t think we’ll clash. The group I associate with is very humble with no egos. Egos broke that tour down because they clashed. You’ve got two people that dominate the same type of audience and it was a competition.
It’s hard to do a tour like that when you’re in competition with the person you’re on tour with. It’s just about supporting each other."

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R&B singer AKON has refused to tone down his rowdy stage shows - because the controversy surrounding his antics has inspired him to become more imaginative with his moves.
The Smack That singer hit headlines in April 2007 when critics blasted him for simulating sex on-stage with an underage fan.
And he was forced to defend himself again in August (08) against claims he assaulted two female fans at another concert.
But the star insists he’s become more creative as a result of the criticism, despite his ongoing lawsuit in a "fan-tossing" incident, which stems from allegations he threw a fan into the crowd during a concert in New York in June 2007.
He tells WENN, "Actually, it made my stage act stronger. It gave me new ways to move the crowd and interact with the crowd. It opened up the creative level.
Things I can do, things I can’t do, things to work around that can give you the same effect without being… dangerous.
"At this stage you have to be more conscious and you have to be humble. But people don’t look at that the same way." Akon’s hearing in the "fan-tossing" incident has been postponed until 17 December (08).
He has pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanour count of endangering the welfare of a minor and one count of second-degree harassment.

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Former ‘N SYNC singer LANCE BASS is convinced BRITNEY SPEARS can outdo ELVIS PRESLEY - by staging "the biggest comeback of all time".
The Toxic hitmaker’s career looked to be in freefall after a tumultuous year in which she lost custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline, shaved off all her hair, and endured two stints in hospital.
But she has stormed back into the spotlight in recent weeks with several high-profile performances to promote her new album Circus - and this week (begs01Dec08) announced a major tour next year (09).
And Bass is convinced the singer’s Lazarus-style resurgence will be the greatest return to form the showbiz world has ever seen.
He tells People.com, "This is going to be the biggest comeback of all time. I don’t think she needs any advice from me. She’s doing an amazing job right now and I’m so proud of her." In 1968, Presley famously staged an infamous comeback after years in the musical wilderness with his first live performance since 1961.

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KEVIN FEDERLINE never wanted to divorce BRITNEY SPEARS - and insists the singer went behind his back to engineer their break-up.
The former dancer - who has two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with the singer - hit back after she claimed in her MTV documentary Britney: For the Record this week (31Nov08) that it was his decision to split up.
But while Federline admits he found married life tough after the birth of their children, he is adamant he wanted to make it work - but the Toxic hitmaker pushed for a divorce.
He tells People.com, "It’s hard enough to be in a marriage, and then have a kid, then kids, it changes everything. For me, I’d become more concerned with my children. Not that I ignored Britney, but my kids are always most important "I mean, we were having complications. I didn’t give her an ultimatum, but I was trying to work stuff out with her, and she didn’t even talk to me or anything and went behind my back and filed (for divorce). (I was) completely blindsided." Federline also revealed he was scared he would never see his sons again after the split.
He adds, "My first question to (my lawyer) was, "Am I ever going to be able to see my children?" I told him that I would spend every last dime that I had to make sure that my children are okay. That’s all that mattered. I didn’t know how much power Britney had. That really scared me." The dancer still cares for his former wife though and vividly remembers the notorious evening in January (08) that ended with Spears in hospital after an apparent breakdown.
Federline says, "That whole night is a blur. You want to talk about one of my lowest points of depression, that was probably one of them. I was very, very worried for her ’cause I care about her."

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SAMUEL L. JACKSON was honoured by a host of fellow Hollywood stars as he was handed the 23rd annual American Cinematheque Award on Tuesday night (02Dec08).
The Pulp Fiction star was given the lifetime achievement prize by legendary Star Wars director George Lucas during a special tribute night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
An array of stars, including Justin Timberlake and Sharon Stone, turned up at the event to heap praise on Jackson, whose movies have grossed more money in box office sales than any other actor in movie history.
After the ceremony, Jackson told Hollywood Reporter, "I felt a bond with everyone in that theatre. (It was) a kinship that opened up a whole new world." Previous winners of the award include Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

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R&B singer AKON is convinced GWEN STEFANI will continue to expand her family with husband GAVIN ROSSDALE - because she "loves being a mother." The couple welcome their first child, Kingston, in 2006 and the singer gave birth to a second son, Zuma, in August (08).
And Akon, who worked with Stefani on her 2006 track Sweet Escape, insists more children will follow.
He tells UsWeekly.com, "She definitely loves being a mother, period. You saw how quickly she went back for another one. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had another in the next couple of months (sic)."

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TOM HANKS is so desperate to see President-elect BARACK OBAMA’s inauguration ceremony that he will happily place himself at the back of the crowd of well wishers.
The Forrest Gump star was a vocal supporter of Obama throughout his presidential campaign.
But the Oscar winning actor is not looking for any favours from America’s new leader - and is so excited by the occasion that he doesn’t mind watching the historic ceremony behind the mass crowd expected in Washington on 20 January (09).
He says, "Look, I’ll be in the back. I’ll sit on the Lincoln steps and just watch it from the distance on a Jumbotron. I’ve never been to anything like that, and finally a guy I voted for won. That hasn’t happened most of my life."

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KEVIN FEDERLINE still loves his ex-wife BRITNEY SPEARS - despite their messy divorce battle.
The couple split in November 2006 and have endured a turbulent relationship since, with Spears recently expressing her regret at marrying the dancer.
But Federline, who shares custody of their sons Sean Preston and Jayden James, is not bitter towards the Toxic hitmaker - and insists he will always love the mother of his children.
He tells People.com, "Just because I’m not in love with her doesn’t mean that I don’t love her. I’m definitely rooting for her. There’s nothing more that I want than for her to be in the best health and doing what she loves to do."

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Legendary singer TINA TURNER kept her fans’ wheels turning when she tapped TOM CRUISE to sing her back-up vocals on stage during a New York concert.
The 69-year-old star performed a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on Monday night (01Dec08) - one day after she was hospitalised in the city for a severe fever.
Turner refused to scrap the performance for fear of disappointing her fans but sent them into a spin when she plucked Cruise from the audience and prompted him to "Sing along!" Cruise, who was joined by wife Katie Holmes, crooned to her hit, Nutbush City Limits.
Other celebrity guests applauding the living legend included actress Anne Hathaway and supermodel Molly Simms.

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FRANK LANGELLA believes disgraced former U.S. President RICHARD NIXON was scarred by his difficult childhood.
The veteran actor stars as the tormented former president in Ron Howard’s film version of the Broadway hit Frost/Nixon.
As research for the role, Langella spent time in the tiny bedroom Nixon shared with his three brothers during his childhood.
And Langella believes Nixon’s fall from grace in the infamous Watergate scandal was a result of his troubled experiences in early life.
He tells USA Today, "What you walk around with 100 per cent of the time are the first two to five years of your life. You’re lucky if those years were relatively sane and the influences on you were good.
"What he had was a horrible kind of existence and a lack of belief in himself, with a father who whacked him on the back of the head all the time and told him he wasn’t as good-looking as his brother, wouldn’t get girls, and would never amount to anything."

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THE HILLS stars HEIDI MONTAG and SPENCER PRATT plan to start a family - just weeks after they married in a secret ceremony in Mexico.
The pair, who have been dating since 2006, exchanged vows while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas.
And the reality TV couple insist the next logical stage is to try for children.
Asked by website TMZ.com whether they plan on having a child, Montag says: "We are going to start it!"
. And Pratt adds, "(It’s the) next step!" Pratt also revealed he was surprised at the sudden wedding, which will feature in later episodes of the MTV show.
He says, "I have been trying to marry Heidi for two and a half years now
. It came out of nowhere
. I was like, ‘This was my shot’
. " And Montag recalls the wedding day, adding, "Actually, I really started crying
. My eyes just started tearing up
. When you hear the love of your life just saying the most amazing, sweet things from his heart, I couldn’t help it.
It was the best moment in my life."

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Supermodel-turned-talkshow host TYRA BANKS avoids romance with fellow celebrities - instead choosing to meet potential boyfriends through blind dates.
The America’s Next Top Model beauty has most recently been linked to New York banker John Utendahl, but was previously rumoured to be dating former basketball star Chris Webber and director John Singleton.
But she insists she isn’t looking to find love with another famous person because the media attention would be too much to handle.
She tells Ebony magazine, "One thing I can say is I try not to date people who are famous because one celebrity plus another celebrity equals five… The paparazzi will just start mixing my name with theirs.
"I find it fascinating looking at other celebs dating each other and I’m like, ‘Look how cool they look!’ But it’s not a personal interest of mine, I get set up by my friends. It’s the hook up!"

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