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VICTORIA BECKHAM and soccer ace husband DAVID’s youngest son CRUZ enjoyed a star-studded birthday party, with EVA LONGORIA PARKER and newly expectant mum NICOLE RICHIE joining in the celebrations.
Little Cruz turned four on Friday (20Feb09) and mum Victoria made sure he had a day to remember by inviting her A-list pals to a superhero-themed bash on Saturday (21Feb09).
Richie and boyfriend Joel Madden - who announced over the weekend (21Feb09) they are expecting their second child together - took daughter Harlow to the party at XMA Martial Arts in Los Angeles, whilst Longoria Parker was accompanied by her two young nieces dressed up in costume.
The birthday boy changed outfits twice - he arrived as X-Men star Wolverine, before changing into an Iron Man get-up. Older brother Romeo donned a Batman outfit.

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BRITNEY SPEARS owes her triumphant career comeback to her father JAMIE, according to actor and family friend MEL GIBSON.
Jamie Spears took over his pop star daughter’s legal, financial and personal affairs last year (Feb08) following a public breakdown which saw the star hospitalised for a mental evaluation.
And the Braveheart star maintains that if it weren’t for the elder Spears’ intervention, the singer wouldn’t have been able to successfully resurrect her singing career.
He says: "She pulled herself out, and her dad… he’s the real hero." And Gibson has explained why he reached out to the star by inviting her to dinner in March (08) after her father gained conservatorship.
He adds: "She’s a nice kid, y’know. She was just going through a rough patch. You see kids that you know in the industry… I just felt like this poor kid is lining up to be stoned. I just thought, ‘I wonder if anyone is reaching out to her,’ so I just called her and she’s doing great now."

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MEL GIBSON regrets not reaching out to late actor HEATH LEDGER before his untimely passing - because he is convinced the young star was troubled before his death.
Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at his New York apartment in January last year (08).
Gibson, who played Ledger’s father in 2000 movie The Patriot, wishes he had phoned the actor to offer him some support in the years before his death.
And he is certain the star’s passing wasn’t accidental, despite a coroner ruling otherwise.
Gibson tells U.S. talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel, "I should have called him years before. I didn’t really know the ins and outs of what was up with him, but I don’t believe it was just an accident.
"Maybe I coulda called him… When you see sort of an impending tragedy or something that might go wrong, it just felt like I should do something about it."

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Embattled R&B star CHRIS BROWN lavished gifts on birthday girl RIHANNA in a bid to heal the rift between the pair, according to U.S. reports.
The Umbrella singer put on a brave face and celebrated turning 21 with a low-key bash at a rented home in the Hollywood Hills less than two weeks after she was allegedly beaten by her pop star beau.
Brown was charged by Los Angeles police with making criminal threats following the incident, which reportedly left Rihanna needing hospital treatment.
And the Bajan beauty tried to forget about her horrific ordeal by partying with friends on Friday (20Feb08) - the same day a shocking snap of what appeared to a be a badly bruised Rihanna was leaked to celebrity website TMZ.com.
But, despite facing possible jail time over the alleged attack, Brown is desperate to try and win back his lover - buying the star a diamond bracelet and necklace before making an emotional phone call to ask for forgiveness, according to the New York Daily News.
A source tells the publication, "Chris called Rihanna to wish her a happy birthday.
"He’s absolutely trying to get back into her good graces. He knows he’s very much in the doghouse right now, and is doing everything he can to show her how sorry he is." And Rihanna is reportedly finding it difficult to turn her back on the relationship.
The insider adds, "Rihanna so wanted Chris with her on her big day, but obviously realises why they can’t be together right now. But it’s becoming more and more clear that she can’t be without him." Rihanna spoke out about the incident for the first time at the weekend (21/22Feb09), thanking her fans for "the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time".

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KATHLEEN TURNER is adamant there is no bad blood between her and NICOLAS CAGE - despite their messy lawsuit last year (08).
Turner accused her Peggy Sue Got Married co-star of drink-driving and theft in her autobiography Send Yourself Roses.
She also alleged that Cage deliberately disobeyed his director uncle Francis Ford Coppola on the set of the 1986 movie.
Cage began libel proceedings against Turner at London’s High Court last February (08), insisting the memoir was full of false claims about him.
He subsequently won the case, and Romancing The Stone star Turner was forced to apologise - but the veteran actress now considers Cage a friend.
Turner tells CYInterview.com, �I certainly consider him a friend, and I believe he feels the same�, adding that the suit �really was more in terms of a legal system than me.�

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KATE WINSLET was convinced she would lose out on the Best Actress Oscar to MERYL STREEP - because her own mum worked out the odds leaned in favour of the veteran star.
Winslet was named Best Actress for her role in The Reader on Sunday (22Feb09) - taking the prestigious prize home for the first time despite having five nominations under her belt.
But before the ceremony, Winslet was terrified she would once again walk away empty-handed - after her mother Sally theorised that Streep was due a win.
The Kramer Vs Kramer star has received 15 Academy Award nominations, more than any other actor or actress in the history of the prizegiving, but has only won two statuettes.
Sally explains, "I was a bit worried! At the last minute, I thought Meryl might get it. She has had so many nominations but she only won two." And the Titanic actress insists she was taken aback by her victory: "I honestly didn’t expect it. When you’re in a category with Meryl Streep, you really just think, ‘Oh well. She’s Meryl Streep! She’s Meryl!’ It’s not supposed to be possible."

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TAKE THAT star GARY BARLOW is hoping to make a quick recovery after injuring his back days before he embarks on a charity mission to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
The British singer’s plans to scale the 19,000-foot (5,890 metre) peak in Africa were thrown into jeopardy after he injured his fourth vertebra, throwing his muscles into spasm.
But the star remains optimistic he will be able to reach the peak’s summit on Friday (27Feb09).
He says, "I can’t believe it - we’ve all been training for about six months and right at the last minute I put my back out.
"But I’m healing every day. I’ve had a trapped nerve in January and my back went into spasm - but we’ve got seven days to go before I leave so I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be fine." Barlow and a host of other U.K. celebrities - including Girls Aloud singers Kimberley Walsh and Cheryl Cole, and Boyzone star Ronan Keating - are carrying out their ascent to raise money for British organisation Comic Relief.

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Brit Award Best Album winners KINGS OF LEON and DUFFY are feeling the effect of their nods - their musical offerings have shot up the British charts.
The American rockers’ Only By The Night took the top spot, knocking Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You into second place, following their double award win for Best International Group and International Album on Wednesday (18Feb09).
Duffy shot up 15 places to number four with Rockferry after her hat-trick of honours at the London ceremony - she was awarded British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, and Best British Album.
Elbow, who walked away with the Best British Group trophy over hot favourites Coldplay, saw their album The Seldom Seen Kid climb from 23 to five.
The only new entry in the top five was Morrissey’s Years of Refusal at number three.

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Rockers INXS have hit back at reports they ruthlessly dumped their lead singer J.D. FORTUNE at an airport - insisting his outburst has ruled out any chance of a return.
Fortune alleged last week (begs16Feb09) he was unceremoniously sacked from the band with a simple handshake as he waited for a flight at Hong Kong airport.
But a spokesman for the Australian rockers claims they are baffled by his statement, because they were about to involve him in their next recording venture and tour.
INXS creative director and global business strategist Chris Murphy says, "Not only are we shocked by the claims, even the place the supposed incident was to have taken place is a mystery to the band.
"What annoys me the most after viewing Fortune’s interview is the bloody slant he makes toward the founding band members. These guys are the nicest people on this planet, they are not the people he portrays.
"The band have always stated to me that Fortune’s services could potentially be contracted again when INXS next tour. In fact he was next on my list to call regarding a very big recording project I am putting together for INXS at present. I guess I have no reason to call him now."

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THE KILLERS have launched legal action against their former manager for breach of contract.
In a lawsuit filed on Friday (20Feb09) in Las Vegas, the band claims a "breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment, as well as breach of an implied good-faith covenant" by Braden Merrick and his company, From the Future.
The band is seeking unspecified damages for what the members say was a "pattern of incompetence and double-dealing that led to losses of revenue for the group".
A statement from the band obtained by Billboard.com cites �multi-million-dollar damages in missed concerts and lost touring revenues, and via the bungling of merchandising and promotional opportunities�.
The suit also accuses Merrick of working for the band�s label, Island Def Jam, as a paid consultant in breach of his managerial contract, without the group�s knowledge.
The papers were filed in response to Merrick suing the band and their current manager, Robert Reynolds, in 2006 for alleged breach of contract after he was fired the previous year (05).

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The Oscars success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has already affected its performance at the box office - takings have more than doubled since it was nominated for ten Academy Awards last month (Jan09).
The hit movie, which scooped eight honours including Best Picture and Best Director for Danny Boyle at the ceremony on Sunday (22Feb09), netted an extra $54 million (£37 million) in the four week run-up to the event.
Access Hollywood reports the huge surge in takings was more than the other four Best Picture nominees combined, according to monitoring company Media By Numbers.
Other Oscars nominees also cashed in on the kudos of a potential award - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button scooped a further $20.6 million (£14 million), The Reader took an extra $15.3 million (£10 million), Frost/Nixon nearly doubled its post-nomination gross by $8.6 million (£5.8 million), and Milk netted a further $7.6 million (£5.2 million).

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The producers of MILK were so convinced they would lose out at the Academy Awards on Sunday (22Feb09), they reportedly cancelled a planned post-ceremony party.
The biopic, which stars Sean Penn as assassinated American politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, was nominated in eight categories at this year’s (09) Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Gus Van Sant.
The film’s bosses predicted their heavyweight competition Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler would take home gold - and axed their celebrations as a result, reports The New York Post gossip column PageSix.
But the cancellation proved unwise after Sean Penn beat The Wrestler favourite Mickey Rourke to take home the Best Actor statuette.

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Officials in India are celebrating the runaway Oscars success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - the hit movie has been granted tax exemption after boosting tourism in the country.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced entertainment tax would be waived for the film - directed by Danny Boyle and set in Mumbai - because of its contribution to India’s movie and holiday industry.
It came as tourism chiefs in Mumbai confirmed visitor numbers have rocketed by 25 per cent since Slumdog’s release.
Dikshit says, "This film has earned a special distinction by claiming eight Oscar awards in different categories and hence created history in the field of Indian cinema."

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BEYONCE KNOWLES made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, to join host HUGH JACKMAN for a spectacular medley of showtunes.
The pop superstar dazzled onstage at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre wearing a top hat and red sequined leotard and gloves.
Knowles and Jackman whizzed through renditions of Top Hat, White Tie And Tails; You’re The One That I Want, from Grease; Lady Marmalade; All That Jazz; and Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
And they were joined onstage at the end by High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and Mamma Mia!’s Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried for performances of Last Chance and Mamma Mia! from their respective films.
The medley was directed by Moulin Rouge filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.

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HEATH LEDGER’s father, mother and sister brought the starstudded Oscars crowd to their feet and reduced many to tears as they accepted the late actor’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs 13 months ago, shortly after wrapping his role as the Joker in Batman movie The Dark Knight.
The deceased star’s dad Kim, mum Sandy and sister Kate took his place on stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday night (22Feb09).
And Ledger’s win inspired the first standing ovation of the night with a number of stars fighting back tears as his family paid him a touching tribute.
Kim said, "This award tonight would have humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be validated in an industry he loved, by you all here, his peers." Sandy added, "Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul. Tonight we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved." And Ledger’s sister Kate revealed the pair had predicted his portrayal of the Joker would earn him an Oscar statuette, adding, "We both knew what you had created in the Joker was extraordinarily special and had even talked about being here on this very day. We wish you were. But we happily accept this award on behalf of your beautiful (daughter) Matilda." Matilda, Ledger’s daughter with ex-fiancee Michelle Williams, will get to keep the award.

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Actress SIENNA MILLER has hit out at the beauty obsessed culture in Los Angeles - insisting she will never resort to surgery to enhance her looks.
The British star is shocked by the lengths some women go to to stay looking young - and is determined to grow old gracefully.
Miller says, "I found myself thinking, ‘I’m getting wrinkles and things are wobbling - I should go to the gym.’ "Then I was like, ‘No way.’ It’s not where the focus should be right now. Girls in L.A. are having pre-emptive Botox. Let people be young and then old. I can’t wait to be seen as a woman."

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BEN STILLER shocked the starstudded Oscars audience, by impersonating JOAQUIN PHOENIX when he stepped onstage to present the Best Cinematography award.
Mocking Phoenix’ recent string of bizarre public appearances, since the Gladiator star ‘quit acting’, Stiller wore a scruffy fake beard and wandered aimlessly around the stage as co-presenter Natalie Portman introduced the nominees.
And the crowd roared with laughter as he told Portman, "I just wanna retire from being the funny guy", prompting her reply, "You look like you live in a Hasidic meth lab."

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SEAN PENN, KATE WINSLET, PENELOPE CRUZ, the late HEATH LEDGER and movie sensation SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE were the big winners at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood.
Penn scooped the Best Actor prize for his role as assassinated gay official Harvey Milk in Milk; ahead of hot favourite Mickey Rourke.
The actor used his acceptance speech to criticise those who outlawed gay marriage in California and call for equal rights.
He said, "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns
. I did not expect this
. I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me.
"For those of you who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban on gay marriage to reflect on their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes.
"We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone." He also found time to pay tribute to Barack Obama and Mickey Rourke, adding, "I’m very, very proud to live in a country that is willing to elect an elegant man president
. Mickey Rourke rises again, and he is my brother." Winslet was named Best Actress for her portrayal of a Nazi guard in The Reader; sixth time lucky for the star who had been a losing nominee five times before.
After catching her breath onstage, the British actress said, "I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t made a version of this speech before
. I was probably eight years old and staring into the bathroom mirror and this was a shampoo bottle
. Well it’s not a shampoo bottle now." She went on to dedicate her award to her family and The Reader producers Sir Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both of whom died in 2008.
A stunned Cruz took the Best Supporting Actress award for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and warned the crowd, "Has anybody ever fainted here? I might be the first one," before accepting her award with speeches in English and her native Spanish.
Ledger’s Best Supporting Actor award for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight brought Hollywood’s A-list to their feet, as his father, mother and sister took to the stage to collect the statuette on his behalf and pay him a touching tribute.
But the night was dominated by British movie Slumdog Millionaire, which scooped eight of the ten awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director for filmmaker Danny Boyle, who bounded onstage and impersonated Winnie the Pooh character Tigger before accepting his award.
Australian actor Hugh Jackman was an impressive first-time Oscars host and entertainted guests at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre with a string of song and dance numbers, including duets with Beyonce Knowles and Anne Hathaway.
The full list of winners is as follows: Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Dustin Lance Black (Milk) Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published - Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) Best Animated Feature Film - Wall-E Best Animated Short Film - La Maison en Petit Cubes Achievement in Art Direction - Donald Graham Burt and Victor J
. Zolfo (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Achievement in Costume Design - Michael O’Connor (The Duchess) Achievement in Makeup - Greg Cannom (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Achievement in Cinematography - Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire) Best Live Action Short Film - Jochen Alexander Freydank Spielzeugland (Toyland) Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) Best Documentary Feature - James Marsh, Simon Chinn (Man on Wire) Best Documentary Short Subject - Megan Mylan (Smile Pinki) Achievement in Visual Effects - Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron (Visual Effects) Achievement in Sound editing - Richard King (The Dark Knight) Achievement in Sound Mixing - Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire) Achievement in Film Editing - Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire) Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - Jerry Lewis Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Score) - A.R
. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song) - A.R
. Rahman, Gulzar for Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire) Best Foreign Language Film - Departures (Japan) Achievement in Directing - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet (The Reader) Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Sean Penn (Milk) Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire
.

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