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R. KELLY’s child pornography case is coming back to haunt him - he’s been accused of failing to pay a private investigator he hired to recover evidence that could have incriminated him.
Private detective Charles Freeman is suing Kelly for outstanding fees totalling $300,000 (£212,765).
The overdue amount is alleged to relate to Kelly’s 2008 trial, in which he was exonerated of 14 charges, including having sex with a minor and videotaping himself engaging in sexual intercourse with a girl as young as 13 years old.
Kelly, who faced up to 15 years in jail, has always maintained his innocence.
However, in legal papers filed last week (ends27Feb09) in Missouri federal court, Freeman alleges Kelly hired his services during the well-publicised trial to "obtain and/or recover certain tapes that were said to incriminate" the singer.
Freeman is seeking damages plus interest and costs.

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SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE star GILLES MARINI has become the latest celebrity to suffer an injury in rehearsals for the new season of U.S. TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS.
Just 10 days after fellow contestant Jewel announced she had been diagnosed with tendinitis, the hunky French model/actor has hobbled off to the doctor.
He suffered a "stabbing" sensation while dancing with partner Cheryl Burke on Friday (27Feb09) and has been told he too has tendinitis in his shoulder and groin.
His spokeswoman says, "He should be fine and ready to go (in time for the season premiere on 9 March (09)).

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Actor, director and TV editor ED COTTER has died, aged 80.
Cotter, who won an Emmy Award for editing American sitcom Happy Days, died on 16 February (09) in Torrance, California.
Returning to the U.S. after serving with the Marine Corps in Korea, he took on roles in several stage productions before moving to Los Angeles, where he directed regional theatre and apprenticed as an editor at Paramount.
Cotter edited Happy Days for more than nine years, winning his Emmy in 1978 for the episode Richie Almost Dies. He also edited 1970s sitcom Laverne and Shirley and several TV movies before becoming a librarian for Paramount, where he oversaw the studio’s film and television archive.
As an actor, he performed with the Long Beach Civic Light Opera and the Kentwood Players while directing plays and musicals including Death of a Salesman, Cabaret, and the Blood Brothers, which played an extended run in 2002.
Cotter is survived by two sons, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

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HEROES star GREG GRUNBERG has backtracked over comments suggesting the hit sci-fi series is facing cancellation after an outcry from frenzied fans.
Grunberg plays mindreading cop Matt Parkman - alongside an all-star cast including Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia and Ali Larter - in the show, which premiered in September 2006.
A cryptic message posted by the actor on Twitter.com on Sunday (01Mar09) hinted at recent reports that the show was in jeopardy because of high production costs and poor ratings, which hit an all-time low last Monday (23Feb09) when viewing figures dropped below seven million for the first time.
Grunberg wrote, "Winding down shooting Season 3 Heroes. Tough to say goodbye to crew not knowing if any or all of us will return next year. Hope all." The posting prompted an outcry among fans, causing the actor to amend his statement minutes later.
He added, "Don’t get me wrong, Heroes IS coming back next year, but some crew take other jobs, so it’s tough." Executives at NBC have yet to say if the network will renew the show next year (10).

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BRITNEY SPEARS has warned fans against buying tickets to afterparties purporting to feature appearances by the singing superstar during her upcoming tour - because they’re bogus.
The Toxic hitmaker kicks off her highly-anticipated tour - The Circus Starring: Britney Spears - in New Orleans, Louisiana on Tuesday (03Mar09) night.
The roadshow will see Spears take in a slew of North American cities over the next two months - and party promoters have been quick to advertise aftershow events to cash in on the production.
But Spears has reached out to fans via her official website, insisting all except one appearance - in Montreal, Canada on 20 March (09) - are fake.
A statement posted on the site reads, "Despite many rumours and advertisements, as of now, Britney Spears will not be appearing at any afterparties in any markets other then (sic) Montreal.
"Please don’t mislead our fans."

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Rapper YOUNG BUCK is baffled by 50 CENT’s allegations that he’s squandered $10 million (£7 million) since finding fame with G-UNIT, insisting he’s never earned that amount of cash.
50 kicked Buck, real name David Darnell Brown, out of the G-Unit crew in 2008, accusing him of disloyalty.
The pair subsequently engaged in a war of words in the media, with G-Unit leader 50 claiming Buck had been using his cash to pay for his alleged drug habit.
The In Da Club star told MTV, "Each person in G-Unit has earned over $10 million in their career at this point. …I didn’t say they have $10 million, I said they’ve seen $10 million. What they did with their paper, I don’t know." But Buck is confused by 50’s statement, and is adamant he can prove otherwise.
He tells HipHopDX.com, "It’s simple, I can let you know what I’ve made. I’ll just put out my tax statements since I signed with G-Unit… I haven’t received 10 million dollars, or jacked off 10 million dollars. I’ve never paid a million dollars in taxes…"

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A New York City nightclub that helped JIMI HENDRIX, BOB DYLAN and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN rise to fame has been named in a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Bosses at Broadcast Music Inc. and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers named Greenwich Village venue Cafe Wha? in two legal actions over allegations of unlicensed performances.
The lawsuits accuse the club of allowing unauthorised performances of Billy Roberts’ song Hey Joe - the first single covered by The Jimi Hendrix Experience after the band was formed in the 1960s.
According to the New York Post, 16 other songs - including some written by James Brown, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, and Tom Petty - have also been named in the suits.
Neither case specifies damages.

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Rapper CROOKED I has refuted rumours he was badly injured in a shooting on Friday (27Feb09).
Internet gossips speculated that the star, real name Dominick Wickliffe, was critically injured or even dead after he was gunned down in Los Angeles.
But Wickliffe has now spoken out to clear up the reports, contacting DJ Vlad of VladTV.com to confirm he is ok - although he refused to elaborate on the incident.
He says, "I’m good. Physically, I’m good. I’m kinda in a f**ked place right now. But physically, I’m good. Some crazy s**t just went on. I was just at the wrong place, wrong time type of s**t. Right now, I’m just trying to get to the bottom of it because when s**t like that pops off, it’s kinda better to just leave it where it happens, you know? "I’m good. I’m straight. I don’t want nobody getting no fame off of nothing, bringing negativity towards me. I’m good."

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OASIS have been forced to axe their upcoming tour dates in China - after government officials discovered the British rockers’ participation in the Free Tibet campaign 12 years ago.
The Wonderwall hitmakers were due to play sell-out shows in Beijing and Shanghai in April (09).
But they were forced to axe both gigs on Saturday (28Feb09) when the Chinese government stepped in and deemed the band "unsuitable" because of their links to the Tibetan freedom movement.
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher played the huge Free Tibet Benefit Concert in New York in 1997 - and when officials at the Chinese Ministry of Culture found out, they revoked the rock band’s performance licence.
In a statement, a representative for Oasis says, "According to the show’s promoters, officials within the Chinese Ministry of Culture only recently discovered that Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert on Randall’s Island in NY in 1997 and have now deemed that the band are consequently unsuitable to perform to their fans in the Chinese Republic on 3rd and 5th of April, during its 60th anniversary year.
"Oasis are extremely disappointed that they are now being prevented from undertaking their planned tour of mainland China and hope that the powers that be within China will reconsider their decision and allow the band to perform to their Chinese fans at some stage in the future."

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Australian cinema bosses will resume screenings of controversial movie THE COMBINATION - after drafting in extra security to prevent rioting outside theatres.
The Greater Union cinema chain stopped showing the movie - which was inspired by violence between gangs of white and Lebanese youths in 2005 - in all of its Sydney theatres after fighting broke out at its Parramatta chain on two nights last week (begs23Feb09).
A spokesman for the Australian Film Syndicate (AFS) condemned the decision, describing the move as "devastating for everyone involved, especially for the audiences".
And Greater Union chiefs have now found a solution to the problem - they have drafted in security guards to prevent a repeat of the violence that marred screenings last week.
Grand Union cinemas in Sydney will resume showing The Combination on Wednesday (04Mar09).

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THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON has kept its place at the top of the international box office charts for the fourth consecutive week.
The film, starring Brad Pitt as a man who ages backwards, notched up weekend takings of $13.4 million (£9.5 million) from 60 territories, taking its overall earnings outside of the U.S. to $176 million (£125 million).
Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino grabbed the number two spot, garnering $8.3 million from 10 markets, while Tom Cruise’s Valkyrie came in third with takings of $7.6 million (£5.4 million) from 57 markets.
Disney animated movie Bolt dropped to number four with takings of $7.2 million (£5.1 million), while The Pink Panther 2 rounded out the top five with $6.8 million (£4.8 million).

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Actor CHANNING TATUM was happy to take on the role of a soldier in upcoming military drama DEAR JOHN - because he is sick of the way Hollywood portrays war heroes.
The star played an army sergeant in the 2008 film Stop-Loss, which focused on soldiers returning from Iraq.
And he was delighted to play a military man again - because after meeting a group of army recruits, he realised they are often wrongly portrayed as "screwed up" in movies.
Tatum says, "I sort of became infatuated with soldiers. I got to know some of them and got a little perturbed with Hollywood making a spectacle out of them and making them look like they have screwed up somehow.
"(In Stop-Loss) everything that was coming out of my mouth, I didn’t believe. A soldier is so noble in my mind." And the actor was happy to try to redress the balance in Dear John: "I wanted the part because it portrays them as real, everyday people."

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EMILY BLUNT was so desperate to land the title role in THE YOUNG VICTORIA, she resorted to begging the film’s producer for the part.
The Devil Wears Prada star accosted producer Graham King in his office after deciding she was perfect for the role of the late British monarch in her younger years.
She recalls, "I was beyond keen. I literally begged for it.
"It’s one of those rare roles - I loved the new revelations of Victoria. She was so complicated and it’s beautifully written. You saw the performance side and then you saw her private life behind closed doors and I loved that dual existence.
King adds, "I got a call from Emily’s agent who said Emily wants to come and see you. I had just seen The Devil Wears Prada and she came in and said, ‘I want to play Queen Victoria and I’m not leaving this office until you say yes.’" And Blunt’s persistence paid off when she was eventually tapped for the film - and King couldn’t be more delighted with his casting choice.
He adds, "I think she was perfect. She really did a lot of homework… she was just really natural. She was born for this role."

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LAUREN GRAHAM and OLIVER PLATT’s Broadway revival of GUYS AND DOLLS has been panned by New York critics, who’ve branded the show "snoozy".
Graham, who made her Broadway debut in the show on Sunday (01Mar09), plays Miss Adelaide opposite Tony-nominated actor Oliver Platt, who takes on the role of Nathan Detroit in the stage production. The show is directed by Des McAnuff and features choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
But their efforts were not enough to impress New York’s tough critics, who insisted the cast’s efforts were lacking in comparison to their predecessors Nathan Lane and Faith Prince, who appeared in the musical’s last Broadway run in 1992.
A critic for the New York Daily News writes, "Instead of glitz and tricks, McAnuff would have been far better off casting leads who could sing Frank Loesser ’s dazzling songs in all their glory." A New York Post critic adds, "For his part, Platt seems so afraid to be compared to Lane that he holds back on the funny, leaving a husk of a character… Graham, best known as the elder Gilmore Girl on TV, breaks from her predecessor’s mould as well, but this time the result is at least… interesting. Vulnerable rather than purely comic, she makes us root for the actress and the character - even though she sings tentatively, moves stiffly and delivers oddly stilted line readings.
"Graham’s Adelaide sure makes an impression. For better or for worse, you’ll remember her, which can’t be said of this snoozy production."

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ANDIE MACDOWELL has rubbished claims older women are neglected in Hollywood - insisting there are plenty of quality film roles for mature actresses.
Veteran screen star Faye Dunaway last year (08) voiced her disappointment with movie producers for denying older female actresses the chance to play major lead roles.
Dunaway insisted movie bosses’ casting decisions are hypocritical because they allow ageing male actors, such as Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood, to romance much younger actresses on the big screen.
But Golden Globe winning star MacDowell is adamant there is a string of challenging roles on offer for females.
She says, "How do I think the industry’s changed? Films have changed a lot. I think women are finally able to get older and be sexy just like men. So I’m really enjoying that part - that’s my evolution. I think sometimes we seem to obsess on negativity. I think role models exist but they usually don’t get the light because people like scandal."

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Singer KELLY CLARKSON is hoping 2009 will be a year of collaborations - she wants to record duets with both British singer ADELE and EURYTHMICS star ANNIE LENNOX.
The Because of You hitmaker is aiming to head back into the studio to team up with Adele - because she is a big fan of the Grammy-winner’s vocal abilities.
And Clarkson also has high hopes of working with Lennox, after meeting with the singer’s former bandmate, Dave Stewart.
She says, "I hope to do something with Adele. I love her voice so much, she’s just incredible." But the star admits she has been dreaming of a duet with Lennox since she was a child.
She adds, "I adore Annie Lennox - it’s no secret that I’m pretty obsessive about her.
"I met Dave Stewart a while back in L.A., so who knows? Maybe we can do something together one day."

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Reality TV star KHLOE KARDASHIAN has blasted reports she has been spending time with CHRIS BROWN following his alleged attack on RIHANNA - insisting she has never even met the scandal-hit singer.
Reports surfaced this weekend (begs28Feb09) that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was partying with Brown at the Gansevoort South hotel in Miami, Florida on Saturday (28Feb09) But the socialite is adamant she was nowhere near the embattled pop star.
Kardashian writes on her blog: "So I woke up this morning to a ridiculous amount of missed calls and news EVERYWHERE that I had been spotted out and about in Miami with Chris Brown. The funny part about this alleged ‘news’ is that I’ve never even met Chris Brown!" Brown is said to be trying to revive his romance with Umbrella hitmaker Rihanna at rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Florida home following his arrest in Los Angeles last month (Feb09) after a bust-up with her.
He is due in court this week (05Mar09) on charges of making criminal threats.

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The producers of CLINT EASTWOOD’s new movie starring MORGAN FREEMAN have hired a private doctor to remain on-set at all times to look after the veteran stars, according to a new report.
Freeman, 71, who plays Nelson Mandela in upcoming drama The Human Factor, is allegedly being monitored carefully by the medic, following a serious car crash in August (08) that left him with a broken arm and shoulder and a paralysed hand.
And movie bosses also want to make sure Eastwood, 78, is looked after during filming.
A source tells the New York Daily News, "There’s a huge budget for the film at stake. These guys are getting up there in age. Sure they had physicals before leaving - everyone has to. But (the private doctor) was just an agreed upon decision on all sides of the table."

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