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MARIAH CAREY has credited her new husband NICK CANNON with curing her of her "diva" ways.
The pop superstar - who married the rapper/actor in a secret ceremony in April (08) - is adamant that Cannon is totally supportive of her career, and is even helping curb her demanding behaviour.
Carey insists that Cannon’s job of directing her latest music video, I Stay In Love, is proof the relationship has a positive effect on her.
She says, "It works perfectly because we choose to work together. He must be a good influence as it was the first video shoot I’ve ever been on time for we ended early two days in a row, and we were under budget. He’s helping me with the diva stuff!"

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SOPRANOS star LILLO BRANCATO JR’s was visiting a friend and not breaking into a house the night he was shot during a stand-off with an off-duty policeman, according to his murder trial defence lawyer.
Officer Daniel Enchautegui was shot dead by Brancato’s friend Steven Armento when he disturbed the pair, allegedly breaking into his neighbour’s Bronx, New York home on 10 December 2005.
Armento was convicted by an earlier trial and sentenced to life in prison but Brancato Jr, 32, is hoping to escape a guilty verdict by disputing a ‘confession’ cops claim he gave the night of the shooting.
Detective Claude O’Shea told the court on Monday (08Dec08) Brancato - who was shot and wounded by Enchautegui - nodded from his hospital bed when asked if he and Armento were committing a burglary.
O’Shea told jurors, "He shook his head yes." He added that Brancato Jr. had told him the pair hatched the burglary plan after leaving a strip club, because they craved prescription drugs.
Brancato later insisted he was banging on a window and shouting a friend’s name loudly when he and Armento were disturbed by Enchautegui.
And the 32-year-old’s lawyer forced Detective O’Shea to concede the actor never verbally confessed. Cross-examining, Joseph Tacopina told O’Shea, "He never uttered or wrote the word ‘burglary,’ that was your characterisation." O’Shea replied, "Correct." A jury must establish Brancato Jr. is guilty of burglary, in order to convict him of murder.
Earlier in the trial, the actor - who also played Robert De Niro’s son in movie A Bronx Tale - told the jury he did not know Armento was carrying a gun on the night of the murder, a fact disputed by his former drug dealer, a witness for the prosecution. The trial continues.

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Actress MICHELLE WILLIAMS did "stupid, crazy things" when she was growing up as an aspiring actress - but the experiences helped her prepare for the future.
Williams was so eager to pursue an acting career she distanced herself from her disapproving parents when she was 15 and left school in California shortly afterwards.
She shot to fame in 1998 when she appeared in hit teen show Dawson’s Creek and her fame was further propelled by her role in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, for which she received an Academy Award nomination.
And now, aged 28, the actress can see she took a huge risk by branching out by herself to try to carve a career in Hollywood.
She tells Parade.com, "Hindsight. Isn’t it great? The risks of going into L.A. at such an early age are huge.
"At the time, I was invincible. I thought I was on top of the world. I didn’t realise what I was doing. But I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences for anything in the world. I am who I am because of them." She adds, "I had a lot of growing up to do and it was slammed into a couple of short years. I did stupid, crazy things. But those stupid crazy things prepared me to deal with future."

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O.J. SIMPSON has started his 15 year prison sentence at a medium-security correctional facility in Nevada, following his conviction on armed robbery and kidnapping charges.
State corrections officials have confirmed Simpson was shipped to High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs on Monday (08Dec08), 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 61-year-old former American football star was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison on Friday (05Dec08) after a jury convicted him of orchestrating a sports memorabilia heist at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino last year (Sep07).
He was convicted on 12 charges, including armed robbery, on 3 October (08) 13 years to the day since he was acquitted of the double murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Simpson will be eligible for parole after nine years, and could serve a maximum of 33 years.
He is reportedly planning to appeal his conviction.

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New mum ASHLEE SIMPSON has made her first public appearance, three weeks after giving birth to her newborn son with rocker PETE WENTZ.
Simpson, who gave birth to their son Bronx Mowgli on 20 November (08) stepped out on Monday (08Dec08) to watch her husband Wentz perform with his band Fall Out Boy at a Hollywood nightspot.
The glowing singer, 24, hid her post-baby body by wearing a coat - and has hit out at reporters questioning how many pounds she packed on.
She tells U.S. magazine Us Weekly, "My weight and my pant size are the absolute last thing I am concerned about. I am only concerned with having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
"People who judge pregnant women’s weight need to get a life."

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Former AMERICAN IDOL singer CLAY AIKEN has sparked reports he’s dating a fellow Broadway star - two months after revealing to the world he is gay.
Aiken finally revealed he was homosexual to America’s People magazine in September (08) - as part of a photospread featuring him and his new baby son Parker, who was born in August (08).
According to reports the star has a new boyfriend, Broadway dancer Reed Kelly - who currently stars in hit musical Wicked.
Aiken and Kelly appeared together at Rosie O’Donnell’s Building Dreams for Kids gala in November (08).
A source at the event tells U.S. magazine Star, "It was obvious they were a couple." And Aiken’s return to the stage in Broadway’s Spamalot has sparked reports the two are an item.
A Broadway insider adds, "Everybody knows Reed as Clay’s guy. Clay met him when he was doing Spamalot in early 2008, and that’s one of the reasons he came back to the show again." Spamalot is scheduled to end its successful run with a final performance on 18 January (09).

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A celebrity lawyer who formerly represented rocker JON BON JOVI has been arrested following allegations he fraudulently took over $100 million (£67.9 million) from two top hedge funds.
Marc Dreier - who was already facing a charge of criminal impersonation by Canadian authorities - appeared in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday (08Dec08).
He faces federal charges of securities and wire fraud, according to the U.S.
Attorney in Manhattan.
Securities and Exchange Commission accused Dreier - who ran the 250-member firm Dreier LLP - of scheming to raise $113 million (£76.9 million) from the sale of phony financial statements.
SEC Division of Enforcement director Linda Chatman Thomsen adds, "Our complaint alleges a stunning, brazen fraud that targeted some very sophisticated institutional investors.
"Investors big and small should take heed, especially in these difficult economic times, that con artists are out there and may go to elaborate lengths to commit fraud." Drier had been released on bail by a Toronto, Ontario court on Friday (05Dec08); he was arrested again late Sunday (07Dec08) at LaGuardia Airport after returning to New York from Toronto.
His lawyer tells the New York Daily News, "This is a very complicated matter, and the facts are beyond reach of a sound bite." A trial date had not yet been set as WENN went to press.

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AMY WINEHOUSE’s mother JANIS is delighted the star’s husband is heading back to prison, insisting he is to blame for the singer’s problems.
Blake Fielder-Civil was released from prison in early November (08) after serving almost a year behind bars in relation to an attack on a pub landlord in 2006.
As part of his early release deal, Fielder-Civil agreed to check straight into rehab in Surrey, England, and spend a month seeking treatment for his drug addiction.
But the 26-year-old is said to have failed a mandatory drugs test which will see him forced to serve out the remainder of his sentence - meaning he could stay behind bars until early 2010.
And Janis Winehouse is glad that Fielder-Civil will be kept away from her daughter.
She tells British magazine Closer, "We’re so happy he’s back in jail. We hope he’s there for a long time. We’re all so furious with Blake for what he’s done to Amy. He’s very manipulative and I think he’s just playing a hand. He works on Amy’s emotions and is always threatening to kill himself." And Janis admits that although divorcing Fielder-Civil will be a long and costly process, the Back to Black hitmaker must let go of her lover.
She adds, "He’s cost her everything - hundreds of thousand of pounds and her health. There’s no doubt he’s to blame for Amy’s state. I don’t even like to call Blake my son-in-law - he’s nothing to me."

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BRITNEY SPEARS has come under fire from animal rights campaigners for using elephants in the video for her new single CIRCUS.
The pop superstar is set to release the titled track from her new album next year (09) and the promo for the song sees Spears as the ringleader of a real circus - and includes scenes involving the captive creatures.
But a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is disgusted by the move - insisting the singer should not have used the animals in the film.
PETA’s Christine Dore says, "How quickly America’s sweetheart fell from grace. And it wasn’t pretty. Now, at the bottom of the barrel, she’s sporting elephants dressed in circus attire for her new video titled - what else Circus.
"As Britney is such a victim of the paparazzi and always complaining and crying about how she hates to be held up in her guarded house and can’t feel free, she of all people should be able to relate to the horror that captive animals go through when they’re used for entertainment.
"Except Britney chooses to perform, and the lifestyle just comes with it.
Animals are ripped away from their mothers at a young age, kept in chains, and prodded with electric shock devices to make them perform".

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The PUSSYCAT DOLLS are keen to record a track with BRITNEY SPEARS after the star’s cameo in one of their videos was axed.
The girlgroup are disappointed they didn’t get to work with the pop superstar when she filmed an appearance for their When I Grow Up promo, which was subsequently scrapped by music bosses.
Now they have been signed up to open for the Toxic hitmaker on her upcoming world tour - and the band are convinced it will lead to a collaboration.
Singer Melody Thornton tells MTV.com, "She’s such a legend… She’s making her way. And she’s the Queen of Pop, along with Madonna, and we want to follow into those footsteps. So, we’re excited." And when Nicole Scherzinger was asked whether a Spears/Pussycat Dolls record was in the pipeline, she added, "Most definitely. We love Britney. She’s a friend of ours, and she’s a really cool girl. She’s down to earth, so we support her."

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GUY RITCHIE fears his ex-wife MADONNA will break their custody agreement and keep the former couple’s children in America with her, according to the moviemaker’s father.
The British director and the pop superstar finalised their divorce last month (Dec08) and are said to have decided to share custody of their eight-year-old son Rocco and adopted tot David Banda, three - with the kids splitting their time between New York and London. Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship, will remain in the U.S. with her mother.
The children are currently accompanying Madonna on the Latin American leg of her Sticky & Sweet world tour, while Ritchie works on his new Sherlock Holmes movie in Britain.
But Ritchie’s father John, admits the star is worried his ex-wife will renege on the custody deal.
John Ritchie tells British magazine Closer, "The children are with Madonna at the moment. Our worry is that she won’t send them back and Guy hopes she won’t keep them."

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TWILIGHT heart-throb ROBERT PATTINSON was forced to end his modelling career at the age of 16 - because he started to look too manly.
The British actor was a child model from the age of 12 but had to give up his life in front of the camera when work dried up just four years later.
And Pattinson, who subsequently turned to acting, blames growing into a man for his modelling rejections.
He tells British magazine Closer, "When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modelling career."

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Actress ANNE HATHAWAY would love to get married - and often finds herself fantasising about where the ceremony would be held.
The Devil Wears Prada star is reportedly dating Adam Shulman, after her four-year engagement to Italian businessman Raffaello Follieri ended when he was arrested for fraud earlier this year (08).
And the 26-year-old admits she often dreams about exchanging vows - and even imagines where she could hold the nuptials.
She tells Access Hollywood, "Sometimes I find myself somewhere and I’m just like, ‘Oh, it’d be really fun to get married here’.
"I really don’t know what that says about me but… I try not to anticipate things before they happen - especially things that I would like very much to have happen." But Hathaway has found herself at times questioning whether marriage is really for her.
She adds, "Of course, like everyone, I’m kind of going through a moment where I’m like, ‘Do I even believe in marriage? What’s going on?’ You know, as you do when you’re fresh from a break up." Despite her doubts, the actress is sure that she’ll wed when the circumstances are right: "I do think eventually someday - if I met the right person - I would get married."

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OPRAH WINFREY is "embarrassed" after packing on 40 pounds in recent months because she now tips the scales at 200 pounds.
The talk show queen writes in the January (09) issue of her O magazine she’s "fallen off the wagon" after years of struggling to maintain a healthy weight.
She says, "I’m mad at myself… I’m embarrassed… I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, ‘How did I let this happen again?’" Winfrey announced she was diagnosed with thyroid imbalance last year (07), and remembers, "I was so frustrated I started eating whatever I wanted - and that’s never good." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Winfrey’s weight gain categorises her as obese and puts the 54-year-old "at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol."

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Actress LINDA FIORENTINO’s FBI agent boyfriend has admitted to stealing secret files and passing them off to an unnamed woman with ties to shamed private investigator-to-the-stars ANTHONY PELLICANO.
Fiorentino’s ex, Mark Rossini, was arrested last week (beg01Dec08) after he was allegedly caught prying into confidential files about Pellicano.
He pleaded guilty on Monday (08Dec08) to five misdemeanour counts of illegally accessing FBI computers during a six-month period in 2007, one week after resigning from duty.
According to the New York Post, Fiorentino - who has been dating Rossini for two years - is writing a screenplay about Pellicano, who was convicted this summer (08) of using illegal wire taps to find out information about Hollywood stars.
According to federal investigators, Rossini accessed information on super agent Michael Ovitz, entertainment lawyer Bert Fields, and William Morris agency President James Wiatt - confidential papers which eventually landed in Pellicano’s hands.
Prosecution court papers allege, "Rossini provided a copy of (an FBI) report to X," adding, "X also had a previous relationship with Anthony Pellicano, and X provided a copy of the FBI report to an attorney for Anthony Pellicano." The unnamed woman has not been charged and has not been identified as a suspect in any crime.
Fiorentino and Rossini’s lawyer, Adam Hoffinger, could not be reached for comment as WENN went to press.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola told Rossini, "You abused the position you had. I have no idea what your sentence will be." His sentencing is scheduled for 13 March (09).
Rossini faces up to five years in jail and a $500,000 (£339,260) fine for the misdemeanour convictions.

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Movie producers have ruled out a fourth JURASSIC PARK blockbuster - because the story died with author MICHAEL CRICHTON.
The sci-fi writer passed away in November (08) aged 66 after losing his battle against cancer.
And moviemakers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Turner have made no further progress with plans for another film in the franchise - because Crichton’s death was "a sign" for them to walk away from the idea.
When asked by reporters from CelebrityTruth.com if there has been any development on a fourth Jurassic Park movie, Kennedy answered "No" before adding: "I don’t know. You know, when Crichton passed away, I sorta felt maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s a sign that we don’t mess with it."

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Actress MICHELLE WILLIAMS has branded her stardom "wearing" - because she is sick of wondering if photographers are lurking wherever she goes.
The Dawson’s Creek star, whose ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose in January (08), is frequently followed by snappers eager to get a picture of her with daughter Matilda.
And Williams, who recently fired back at the paparazzi for hounding her in the wake of Ledger’s death, would love to go about her everyday life undetected by cameras.
She tells Parade.com, "I do sometimes wish that I could live with less attention but not being totally ignored by the world. It’s very wearing to be a celebrity.
"I wonder if people are going to follow me or if someone is going to pop out of nowhere with a camera. I get very angry but I’m trying not to let it stop me from living." And the star admits she finds it hard to brush off the press - because she is too polite to stand her ground.
She adds: "You’re sort of straddling that fine line between being kind and courteous and everything that your mother raised you to be to strangers that come up and refuse to respect your privacy."

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MARK RUFFALO’s younger brother SCOTT has died a week after he was shot in the head. He was 39.
Scott Ruffalo passed away on Monday night (08Dec08), according to TMZ.com.
The hairdresser was found outside his home in Beverly Hills, California with a gunshot wound to the head on 01 December (08), and had been in a critical condition in a Los Angeles hospital since then.
The prime suspect in the case turned herself in earlier on Monday, along with a man authorities declared a "person of interest" in the case.
Shaha Mishaal Adham, 26, surrendered herself at the Beverly Hills Police Department at 1.30pm, along with her friend Brian Scofield, 29.
At the time, Adham was taken into custody on a no-bail arrest warrant for attempted murder, while Scofield was booked for a misdemeanour traffic warrant for past violations.
No further information was available as WENN went to press.

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