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MICHAEL JACKSON has found himself at the centre of hit-and-run allegations, after his driver allegedly smashed into an ambulance on his way to pick up the pop superstar from a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday (22Apr09).
The singer’s chauffeur has been accused of sideswiping an ambulance and breaking off its wing mirror as he went to meet Jackson at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
According to U.S. TV network NBC, the driver of the hospital vehicle watched as the man behind the wheel of a black SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) jumped out of the car and walked to the building’s entrance to greet Jackson, who climbed into the back of the waiting car, before speeding off.
The incident was reported to cops at the Beverly Hills Police Department, who have confirmed a hit-and-run accident occurred at around 3.20pm (local time) involving "a dark coloured SUV" that was "being followed by a group of paparazzi at the time of the collision…" However, authorities have yet to confirm the Thriller hitmaker’s involvement, stating "the suspect is unknown at this time".
No one was injured in the crash and police are currently investigating the incident, reports TMZ.com.
The reason behind Jackson’s hospital visit was unknown as WENN went to press, but the singer, who was wearing a surgical mask during the trip, has been plagued by rumours of ill health for months. Among the ailments internet gossips claim Jackson is suffering from are a flesh-eating infection and a deadly lung condition known as Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD).

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

SIR ELTON JOHN has bid farewell to fans in Las Vegas after playing the final show in his five-year residency on Wednesday night (22Apr09).
The hitmaker has been a regular fixture at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace since signing on for a three-year deal in February 2004.
John was scheduled to play 75 shows over that time period, but a further 166 concert dates were added due to popular demand.
He brought the curtain down on The Red Piano show this week, paying tribute to the other superstars who have also enjoyed extended runs at the Colosseum.
The singer wowed the crowds with hits like Candle in the Wind, Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man, earning him a standing ovation from fans after each song.
He told the audience, "The ex-home of Celine Dion… and now it’s the ex-home of Elton John as well.
"Who are you going to get to fill in our shoes now? You’ve got Bette Midler, you’ve got Cher. It’s gonna be the Village People next." But the five-time Grammy winner isn’t ruling out a return to the Vegas stage. As he closed the show with a rendition of Your Song, John said: "I really have enjoyed every single moment of this engagement. One day I might even see you in Vegas, OK? But until then, I love you."

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British funnyman SACHA BARON COHEN has had the last laugh in a legal battle over his TV comedy DA ALI G SHOW - a judge has dismissed the lawsuit because "no reasonable person" can take the character seriously.
A woman sued the star over claims he defamed her during a sketch on the show in 2004.
She was referred to only as Jane Doe throughout the legal proceedings but has now been named as Heddi Cundle, a British woman who lives in the U.S.
Cundle, who met Cohen 20 years ago in Israel, took legal action after the comic used her name in a skit as wannabe rapper Ali G.
She sued for damages for slander and �infliction of emotional distress�.
But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman dismissed the case in a hearing on Tuesday (22Apr09), telling the court the show was obviously a spoof made for entertainment purposes.
He says, "No reasonable person could consider the statements made by Ali G on the program to be factual. It is obvious that the Ali G character is absurd, and all his statements are gibberish and intended as comedy.
"The actor, Sacha Baron Cohen, never strays from the Ali G character, who is dressed in a ridiculous outfit and speaks in the exaggerated manner of a rap artist. Ali G�s statements are similarly absurd. The program is obviously a spoof of a serious interview program. No reasonable person could think otherwise." Cohen has faced a variety of legal troubles over his comic creations, including a string of lawsuits from members of the public who alleged they were duped into appearing in his 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan. Two of the cases were dismissed by the courts last year (08).

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LINDSAY LOHAN insists on keeping work separate from her personal life - she avoids appearing alongside her friends on camera.
The Mean Girls star, who recently split from girlfriend Samantha Ronson, fears she will tire of her pals’ company if she teams up with them on a professional level.
So the actress deliberately makes sure her filming commitments are friends-free.
Lohan says, "It is better to stay friends with people. When you work with someone, you are with them all the time. Then it gets hard.
"You don’t ever want to get to the point where you get sick of your best friend."

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A musical about the life of flamboyant pianist LIBERACE is heading to Broadway.
Performer Wayland Pickard, who has played the late Polish musician in two similar productions, has been recruited to slip into Liberace’s famous glittery jacket for a run on the New York stage this autumn (09).
The show is expected to be called Liberace: The Man, the Music and the Memories, reports Daily Variety.
It’s not the only Liberace-inspired production in the pipelines - Michael Douglas is expected to play him in an upcoming movie biopic.
Liberace died in 1987 from an AIDS-related illness. He battled rumours he was homosexual until his death, suing several newspapers who alleged he was gay.

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Fans of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN can get their hands on a piece of history - rare photos of the rocker are the top prize in a charity competition.
Vintage shots of the Born In The U.S.A. hitmaker will be awarded to 14 lucky devotees who give $25 (£17) or more to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
The snaps will be signed by the photographers for the randomly selected winners.
The contest starts on Thursday (23Apr09) and will end once 14,000 donations have been made to the charity.

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BEYONCE has launched an initiative to help fight hunger in the U.S. - she’s asking concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items to donate during her upcoming tour.
The singer has teamed up with a national hunger relief campaign created by General Mills to co-sponsor a food drive when she takes her I Am… World Tour Stateside on 21 June (09).
The Show Your Helping Hand initiative will help food rescue organisation Feeding America deliver millions of meals to food banks around the nation - and Beyonce’s hoping her fans will lend a hand by bringing food items or donating money when they attend her live show.
She says, "Our goal is to donate 3.5 million meals to local food banks." It’s Beyonce’s first full-length concert series since her sold-out 2007 tour The Beyonce Experience.

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BEYONCE has exercised revenge on the internet prankster who faked a recording of her singing out-of-tune - by wowing fans with a flawless live performance on U.S. TV.
The superstar found herself at the centre of controversy on Wednesday (22Apr09) when American shock jock Howard Stern aired audio of Beyonce appearing to screech along to her hit song If I Were A Boy.
The squeaky rendition - altered from her performance on The Today Show last November (08) - quickly circulated the internet, prompting her manager/father Mathew Knowles to brand his daughters’ critics "idiots". And the fanfare caused the joker behind the recording to come out of hiding - admitting his hoax went too far.
But Beyonce silenced her critics and proved her voice is still in top form when she returned to the U.S. morning show on Thursday (23Apr09) for a relaxed TV performance of her new single Halo.
Admitting she hadn’t given the controversy much attention, she laughed off the incident: "I haven’t heard this (the recording) but I know whoever did it said it’s a complete joke. It’s so amazing to me that someone in their home can just do a little prank and it can end up on this major radio station. People really were like, ‘How could you believe that? This is really over the top."

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U.S. talk show host ELLEN DEGENERES has been named the most powerful gay celebrity by an American magazine.
The comedienne, who is married to actress Portia de Rossi, came second to politician Barney Frank but was the top showbiz star on the list.
Actress Jodie Foster and comic Rosie O’Donnell were also honoured in the third annual Top 50 rundown by U.S. publication Out, coming 36th and 42nd respectively.
Milk director Gus Van Sant was 14th, Sex and the City writer Michael Patrick King came 29th, and fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford were handed 15th and 38th places in the lineup.
The list is determined by political clout, cultural resonance, individual wealth and current personal profile.

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LAW & ORDER: SVU star MARISKA HARGITAY has assured fans she’s back on top form after her recent health problems, insisting she’s feeling "so much better".
The 44-year-old actress was hospitalised in March (09) suffering from a partially collapsed lung, but she returned to the set of the crime drama just days later.
And Hargitay is confident her medical issues are firmly behind her.
She tells E! News, "(I’m) so much better. I’ve turned the corner and I’m feeling great. Really great."

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SETH ROGEN’s raunchy comedy ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO has been banned in Thailand - because officials fear it will lead to a spate of copycat movies.
Distribution company M Pictures launched an appeal after the country’s National Film Board outlawed the controversial comedy earlier this week (begs20Apr09).
A panel was set up to hear the case but after viewing the film, censors upheld the initial ruling and confirmed the ban will remain in place.
Explaining the decision, Culture Ministry permanent secretary Vira Rojpojchanarat says, "The screening of this film may encourage copycats here." Officials at the National Film Board said the ban was initially introduced because the movie’s sexual content was against Thailand’s "moral principles".

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Oscar winner JENNIFER HUDSON has laughed off rumours she is set to become a mother, dismissing the pregnancy reports as complete fabrications.
Earlier this week (begs20Apr09), Essence magazine alleged the Dreamgirls actress/singer was expecting her first child with fiance David Otunga, claiming they had received confirmation "through two sources close to" Hudson.
But the star’s representative has dismissed the baby news, saying there is "no, no, no, no way" the rumours are true, reports TheCelebrityTruth.com.

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Former boxer MIKE TYSON has slammed CHRIS BROWN for his alleged attack on ex-girlfriend RIHANNA - calling the R&B singer a "baby".
Brown, 19, has been charged with two felonies - assault and making criminal threats - following an alleged altercation with Rihanna in a car in Los Angeles in February (09) which left her bloodied and bruised.
And Tyson, who was accused of physical abuse by his ex-wife, actress Robin Givens, blames Brown’s youth and inexperience for his relationship woes.
He tells MTV.com, "My personal opinion about that is, he’s just a baby. He’s just a little baby that don’t know how to handle his emotions when it comes to a woman. And he probably hears this and thinks, ‘I know how to handle my emotions’; we all think we do.
"You look at this person and you might be crazy in love, but we don’t know how to handle those feelings.
"You can’t abuse them. It’s really sick..
"Do I think it’s right to beat up a woman? No - hell no. Have I hit a woman before? Hell yeah. Was I wrong? Hell yeah. I’m a product of that environment. Do I regret ever doing that? Hell yeah. Would I do it again? Never." Brown is due back in court in L.A. on 29 April (09).

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PRISON BREAK star LANE GARRISON is set for an early release from jail - he has been granted parole for good behaviour.
The actor has been languishing behind bars since November 2007 after he was convicted of vehicular manslaughter in relation to a drunk driving accident which left his 17-year old passenger, Vahagn Setian, dead.
He was expected to serve a 40-month sentence but a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections has confirmed to Hollyscoop.com that Garrison is to be released after earning good behaviour credits.
The star is expected to be paroled in the next few weeks.
Garrison pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol after the 2006 smash in California which killed Setian and left two 15-year-old girls seriously injured.
The actor was ferrying the teenagers home after a Hollywood party when he lost control of his vehicle.
Garrison recently settled a civil suit with Setian’s parents and crash survivor Michelle Ohana, who spent two months in a wheelchair following the accident.

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Rocker BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG worked so hard on the new GREEN DAY album he almost ended up in hospital.
The band has been busy recording tracks for 21st Century Breakdown, their first new release in over five years.
But their commitment to perfecting the album left Armstrong and his bandmates - bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool - fearing for their health.
Armstrong says, �This is the album that could have killed us. We had set the bar so high with American Idiot.
�We all became sick as dogs. I was close to being hospitalised but they caught me in time. I had the boogie woogie flu.�

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SPIDER-MAN may have to swing into action without his leading lady - movie bosses are still battling to persuade KIRSTEN DUNST to sign up for the fourth installment of the superhero franchise.
The 26 year old has starred in all three Spider-Man films as Mary Jane Watson, opposite leading man Tobey Maguire.
But while Maguire has confirmed he will appear in the fourth and fifth films in the franchise, Dunst is still pondering whether to rejoin the cast.
Director Sam Raimi says, "I’m hoping that she is going to come on board and I’ve got a meeting coming up with her. I think she would like to but I don’t want to speak on her behalf." While a source tells Britain’s Daily Express, "It had been presumed that Kristen would sign up for the fourth but she’s still not agreed. She needs to be assured that the story is going to be a strong one, in terms of her character. The films clearly wouldn’t be the same without her."

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH’s half-sister is suing the publishing firm behind her biography of the late star - alleging company bosses failed to give her a proper contract before releasing the book.
Donna Hogan penned Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith about her older sibling, who died of a prescription drug overdose in 2007.
The book was released later that year, but Hogan claims bosses at Phoenix Books and Audio, Inc. went ahead with publication without signing a formal contract with her.
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month (Apr09), the 37-year-old alleges company chiefs failed to promote the book or attempt to sell the movie rights.
The papers also accuse Phoenix Books of withholding a $200,000 (£137,931) advance payment which Hogan claims to have been promised, as well as 40 per cent of the biography’s gross profits.
Hogan is seeking unspecified damages.

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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s court-side kiss with JESSICA BIEL was spurred on by male pride - the singer was determined to outshine DUSTIN HOFFMAN’s public clinch with his wife.
The SexyBack hitmaker and his girlfriend were enjoying the Los Angeles Lakers game on Tuesday (21Apr09) when Hoffman was picked out by the Kiss Me Cam - designed to catch couples puckering up.
The Rain Man star passionately embraced wife Lisa and the image was beamed onto the big screen during the sports match.
But Timberlake was determined Hoffman wouldn’t steal the limelight away from him and Biel - and grabbed his girl for a sexy smooch.
During an appearance on U.S. chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night (22Apr09), Timberlake says, "I have to clarify that picture - we’re not actually that much of exhibitionists, in front of 18,000 people.
"But they were playing Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe and we were watching all these elderly people kiss and it got kind of weird for a second, I’m not going to lie - but it was really endearing.
"They cut to Dustin Hoffman and his wife and he planted an open-mouthed kiss on her, that was award-winning in its own way, and they cut to us and I was not to be outdone! So I mouthed in (kissed) my girlfriend in front of 18,000 people." But Timberlake later realised his spontaneous decision to pucker up left Biel shocked: "It actually looks like she’s struggling for breath!"

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