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HEATH LEDGER’s ex-fiancee MICHELLE WILLIAMS has denied she was set to accept any awards the late star wins for his role in THE DARK KNIGHT.
Ledger’s performance as The Joker - the last movie he completed before his drug overdose death in January (08) - is expected to earn him a clutch of posthumous prizes during the forthcoming awards season.
He is already nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe, and is hotly tipped to become the first posthumous acting Oscar winner since Peter Finch in 1977.
Williams - the mother of Ledger’s daughter Matilida - was thought to be among those contending to accept awards on her ex’s behalf, along with his father Kim.
But the Brokeback Mountain actress won’t be involved. Her representative says, "No discussions have been made for Michelle to accept nor are there any plans to take part."

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Magazine bosses accused of fabricating an interview with SCARLETT JOHANSSON are blaming the controversy on a freelance reporter.
The actress was furious when the U.K. edition of Cosmopolitan put her on its cover, accompanied by an interview in which she seemingly spoke openly about her marriage to Ryan Reynolds.
She was quoted as saying, "Ryan has a very romantic side. We both enjoy remembering little things that make us happy." But Johansson insists she never gave the interview and the quotes are fabricated. Her spokesperson complains, "(The article is an) obvious attempt…
to gain monetarily by misinforming their readers. (Johansson) has at no point granted UK. Cosmopolitan an interview, and she has never discussed her personal relationships with the publication." Cosmopolitan editors have now spoken out, revealing the marriage quotes were provided by a freelance journalist who claimed to have interviewed the star. A statement reveals, "UK Cosmopolitan printed an interview with Scarlett Johansson that included quotes from an agency journalist regarding the actress’s marriage. We ran these quotes in good faith with the understanding that the interview was carried out with the approval of Ms. Johansson and her publicist. UK Cosmopolitan is taking the complaints by Ms. Johansson’s publicist seriously and is investigating the matter further."

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NICOLE RICHIE is baffled by reports she is working on a new album with RIHANNA, because she’s too busy caring for her baby daughter to have pop star dreams.
Recent reports suggested Rihanna and Kelly Osbourne were coaching Richie, ahead of a new solo LP.
A New York Daily News source claimed, "Rihanna and Kelly are coaching Nicole and giving her tips on how to perform." But a spokesperson for Richie - mother to baby Harlow with boyfriend Joel Madden - tells OK! magazine, "While Nicole respects Rihanna and thinks she is immensely talented, she is not currently working on an album and hence, not currently working with Rihanna as has been recently reported."

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WILL SMITH is in talks to reprise two of his most successful recent movie roles in a HANCOCK sequel and a prequel to I AM LEGEND.
The superhero caper and disaster thriller have both been huge hits over the past 12 months, each grossing more than $500 million (£333 million) at the worldwide box office.
So Smith, who produced and starred in both pictures, is keen to return for second installments.
A source tells the New York Post, "He is ready to do both. Producers are just trying to get Charlize Theron to sign on for the Hancock sequel." The I Am Legend follow-up will have to be a prequel, showing the events leading up to the first movie.
The insider adds, "It will be about how the disease spreads and the fall of the last great American city. It will also develop the relationship between Will’s character and his wife." Smith’s spokesperson confirms, "There have been talks about both projects."

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The Broadway revival of GYPSY is the latest show to fall victim of plummeting ticket sales on New York’s theatre district - and will close in the New Year (09).
The musical, about burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee, has been one of the most popular draws on Broadway, and landed a clutch of Tony Awards this year (08).
But increasing empty seats have prompted producers to pull the plug, more than two months before cast members were due to take their final bow.
Producer Roger Berlind tells the New York Daily News, "Due to these uncertain financial times, my partners and I have made the difficult decision to close."

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DUMB AND DUMBER director BOBBY FARRELLY was reportedly arrested earlier this month (Dec08), after fighting with police officers outside a nightclub in Vermont.
According to TMZ.com, Farrelly - one half of the Farrelly Brothers directing duo - was picked up in Stowe and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Farrelly, 50, was released on $500 (£333) bond.
The film maker’s next project is a comedy movie starring the Jonas Brothers, called Walter the Farting Dog - about a flatulent pet pooch.

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Reformed rockers GUNS N’ ROSES have blasted rumours original bandmembers SLASH and DUFF McKAGAN are planning to rejoin the group in 2009.
The guitarists quit the band in 1993, after their relationship with frontman Axl Rose deteriorated.
Rose finally released long awaited album Chinese Democracy last month (Nov08), prompting rumours the original line-up would reunite for a tour.
But Guns N’ Roses manager Irving Azoff insists there are no plans to bring back Slash and McKagan, who are both now members of supergroup Velvet Revolver.
Azoff says, "There are no plans of a reunion, nor have there been any discussions of a reunion, with former Guns N’ Roses band members. In the future, we hope that if media have any questions concerning GN’R, they’d at least check their facts before running inaccurate stories for their own benefit".

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PULP frontman JARVIS COCKER and former SUGABABE MUTYA BUENA are headlining a London concert to raise awareness of the city’s knife crime culture.
Dozens of teenagers have died in gang-related stabbings in 2008 alone.
Organisers of the South Bank Centre event want to persuade young people to stop carrying blades, and hope music will help get the message across.
Chief organiser, beatboxer Schlomo, explains his goal: "I really believe that beatboxing and music in general gives us the potential to inspire a change, to move away from the despondent attitudes that have led to problems with postcode wars, drugs, knives and gun crime. Working creatively with young people gives them an opportunity to take an interest in their own development. Suddenly it can be considered cool to apply yourself to something. Beatboxing is an ideal tool - it is uniquely inclusive because everybody has a voice. You don’t need to pay a penny for any equipment, and a group of people can start to make music together in no time at all. Plus it’s cool, kids want to do it".
(IG/WNWC/IG&CL) WENN - SIXTH - HOLLYWOOD, SHOWBIZ & PEOPLE NEWS - 15 DECEMBER 2008

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American rockers MACHINE HEAD have cancelled the remaining dates on their current tour, after guitarist PHIL DEMMEL collapsed onstage for the second time in four months.
Demmel was taken ill during a gig in Sheffield, England on Friday night (12Dec08), just months after a longterm heart condition caused him to collapse at a U.S. concert back in August.
After the first incident, Demmel revealed he has battled cardioenic syncopic episodes, which stop his heart from pumping enough blood, for the past 17 years.
The latest collapse has prompted the band to axe gigs supporting Slipknot in Antwerp, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Bassist Adam Duce says, "After considering the seriousness of Phil’s health condition, we all feel that skipping these last two shows is the best thing to do.
"It’s a bummer to end this tour like this after doing nine amazing weeks and three continents with Slipknot, but getting Phil back to the States to get checked out is the most important thing right now.
"We understand that it’s a big disappointment to the fans, and Phil is very sorry about it, but we all feel that his health and safety is most important at this time."

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MADONNA will hand ex-husband GUY RITCHIE almost $100 million (GBP67 million) to end their marriage, her spokeswoman has confirmed.
Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s longtime representative, announced on Monday (15Dec08) that a divorce settlement has been reached and director Ritchie will receive between $76 million and $92 million (GBP50 million and GBP60 million).
The figure includes the value of the English country house and London pub they shared.
Rosenberg said in a statement, "I’d assume it’s one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement." She revealed that custody of the couple’s sons Rocco and David has yet to be finalised - and dismissed rumours the former couple would spend Christmas together in London.
Madonna, 50 and 40-year-old Ritchie’s split was announced in October (08) ending months of speculation.
The superstar filed for divorce citing Ritchie’s "unreasonable behaviour" and was granted a quickie preliminary split on 21 November (08).
She is now rumoured to be dating New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez. (IG/WNWA/IG) WENN - BREAKING NEWS - 15 DECEMBER 2008 ————————————————————————–

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A fishing boat owned by the shark hunter who inspired the JAWS movies is to be sold at auction.
New Yorker Frank Mundus, credited as the real Captain Quint from Peter Benchley’s Jaws novel, on which Steven Spielberg’s movies were based - died in September (08) at the age of 82.
His 40 foot wooden boat, Cricket II, will go on sale online in February (08), with a starting price of $25,000 (£16,700). (IG/PYN/ZN) * DID HITLER’S GHOST CAUSE TANK TROUBLE ON VALKYRIE SET? Moviemaker BRYAN SINGER feared the ghost of ADOLF HITLER had taken over his VALKYRIE set when a runaway tank threatened to destroy camera equipment.
The director was shooting scenes with Tom Cruise in Cougar Buttes in California when a stuntman had to climb aboard an out-of-control tank and stop it crashing through thousands of dollars worth of sound and camera equipment.
And Singer still thinks Hitler was behind the controls of the armoured vehicle.
He says, "We had one tank that malfunctioned and it started rolling on it’s own. It started rolling towards the camera equipment and nothing was stopping it because it’s a tank and it’s meant to roll over camera crews and other things in it’s way.
"A very brave guy crawled in it and worked the brake system and got it to stop. Maybe the ghost of Hitler was in there!" In the new film, Cruise plays a real-life German officer who led an assassination attempt on Hitler.

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LION KING theatre boss SCOTT NEDERLANDER is facing a lawsuit from a New York jeweller, who alleges the Broadway producer failed to pay for $2 million (£1.3 million) in jewellery, and then failed to return a number of gems.
Graff Diamonds bosses claim Nederlander purchased 12 pieces of jewellery between February and March 2004.
The suit, filed at Manhattan federal court, alleges he used bad cheques to pay for the gems.
It adds that Nederlander instructed Graff heads to recover the jewellery from the home of his then-girlfriend Christin Sims, but they were only able to obtain eight of twelve purchased pieces. Nederlander allegedly claimed the remaining four items were lost.

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A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE comedy sketch mocking New York’s Governor DAVID PATERSON’s blindness and past cocaine use has left the politician seething.
SNL star Fred Arnison impersonated the Democrat during Saturday’s (13Dec08) show, wandering lost around the studio and jokingly attempting to make a drug deal, unaware he was on camera.
And Paterson - who only took over the role this year (07) when previous Governor Eliot Spitzer was found to having cheated on his wife with a prostitute - isn’t happy.
He tells the New York Daily News, "I can take a joke. But only 37 per cent of disabled people are working and I’m afraid that that kind of third grade humour certainly adds to this atmosphere.
"Let’s just say I don’t think it helped." (IG/NYDN/ZN) * DIAZ: ‘I DON’T WANT SHREK STAGE ROLE’ CAMERON DIAZ has ruled herself out of an appearance in SHREK THE MUSICAL because she is terrified of performing live onstage.
The actress, who provides the voice of Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies, is a big fan of the film franchise’s theatre spin-off.
But she is not looking to reprise her role on the stage - because she finds it "impossible" to act in front of a live audience.
Asked if she is eyeing up a part in the show, she says: "No. Absolutely not.
What they do up there… is, to me, impossible. It’s wonderful, though. They’ve done such a great job. They worked really hard, and it really pays off." Speaking at Shrek the Musical’s opening night on Broadway, New York on Sunday (14Dec08), Diaz added: "It’s hilarious. There’s so many laughs. It’s great to see all the actors playing it together, because when we do it for the animated (films), we never see each other. We don’t work together."

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One of the memorabilia dealers O.J. SIMPSON was jailed for robbing has been ordered to hand over the former American footballer’s NFL Hall of Fame Ring.
A Santa Monica judge made the ruling on Friday (12Oct08), insisting Alfred Beardsley give back the ring, so Simpson can satisfy the $33.5 million (£22 million) civil court judgement awarded to the families of his murdered ex-wife and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Simpson is currently serving a 15 year prison sentence for organising an armed raid on a Las Vegas hotel suite last year (07) to recover memorabilia in the possession of Beardsley and another dealer.

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ELVIS PRESLEY, GUNS N’ ROSES, and KATY PERRY are enough to send you to sleep they’ve topped a poll of "alternative lullabies".
The survey reveals modern parents prefer to sing their babies to sleep with rock songs and boyband ballads rather than traditional nursery songs.
Top of the list is British band Take That’s Patience, followed by Robbie Williams’ hit Angels, and Katy Perry’s smash I Kissed A Girl.
Other surprising entries in the top ten include Wonderwall by Oasis, Welsh songstress Duffy’s Warwick Avenue, and Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses.
Parents taking part in the poll said it was easier to remember the words to modern songs, with many agreeing that traditional lullabies sound old fashioned.
Kathryn Crawford, from Thebabywebsite, which carried out the survey, said: "We were really surprised to find that mums would rather sing modern pop tunes than traditional lullabies
. I expect most mums put the radio on when at home with the baby, and the catchy lyrics make it impossible to sing anything else at bedtime." The Top Ten alternative lullabies are:
Patience - Take That Angels - Robbie Williams I Kissed a Girl - Kate Perry You’re Beautiful - James Blunt Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley Beautiful - Christine Aguilera Warwick Avenue - Duffy Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses Wonderwall - Oasis Girl - Sugababes (ZN/WNWCNM/IG) WENN - FIFTH - HOLLYWOOD, SHOWBIZ & PEOPLE NEWS - 15 DECEMBER 2008

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Rocker JULIAN CASABLANCAS can add funnyman to his resume - he is teaming up with SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE trio THE LONELY ISLAND to record a comedy album.
The Strokes singer will join the three-piece - Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg - to record Boombox for the LP, entitled Incredibad.
The album will also feature appearances from Norah Jones, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, and T-Pain.
It is due for release on 10 February.

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Eighties rap icon DOUG E. FRESH is the latest celebrity at risk of finding himself homeless, after THE SHOW star was hit with three foreclosure actions worth a staggering $3.5 million (£2.33 million).
Banks are seeking the huge sum in mortgage payments on three New York properties.
Fresh - real name Douglas Davis - is also being chased by American Express for nearly $60,000 (£40,000); the Internal Revenue Service for $367,000 (£245,000); and New York State for more than $40,000 (£27,000) in taxes.
Davis, who is currently developing a new Manhattan restaurant called Doug E’s Chicken and Waffles, refused to comment on his financial issues to the New York Post.

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Late rocker BO DIDDLEY’s former manager has blasted film bosses for cutting the star out of BEYONCE KNOWLES’ new movie CADILLAC RECORDS.
Knowles plays Etta James in the film, about the legendary Chess Record label that made stars from the likes of James, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Diddley.
All the legendary performers are portrayed in the movie - except Diddley, who died last year (07).
And Margo Lewis, the head of Talent Source management, is appalled - blaming the snub on a rift between Diddley and Leonard and Phil Chess, who ran the label.
She tells the New York Post, "It’s no secret that Bo had real issues with the Chess Brothers and their ‘creative accounting practices’.
"It was Bo’s recollection that every time he or another performer would go to the Chess offices to ask for their royalties, they were given the keys to a new Cadillac instead. So, in that regard, at least they got the title of the movie right.
"Regardless, we are shocked that the producers would omit such a seminal figure as Bo."

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