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Wrestler-turned-actor ‘ROWDY’ RODDY PIPER has pleaded not guilty to allegations of driving under the influence (DUI).
The grappler, real name Roderick Toombs, was arrested in Hollywood on 2 July (09) after failing a field sobriety test.
On Wednesday (22Jul09), he was charged with a misdemeanour count of DUI and one count of driving without a valid licence.
The 55 year old appeared in a Los Angeles court on Thursday (23Jul09) to enter his plea, reports TMZ.com.
He faces up to six years in prison and a $1,000 (£665) fine if he is convicted, and he is due in court next month (Aug09).

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Comedian KATT WILLIAMS has escaped prosecution following his arrest last year (08) on suspicion of gun possession - the New York District Attorney has rejected the charges.
The funnyman was taken into custody by the New York Police Department in November after cops pulled his car over for a traffic violation.
They allegedly spotted two firearms in the vehicle and Williams was hit with two weapons possessions charges.
But according to TMZ.com, the controversial star’s counts have been dropped after officials at the District Attorney’s office decided they would be unable to prove the claims beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

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American football star BEN ROETHLISBERGER has broken his silence to categorically deny accusations he sexually assaulted a New Jersey hotel employee last summer (08).
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is accused of forcing Andrea McNulty to have sex with him in his room at Harrahs in Lake Tahoe, Nevada back in July 2008.
The civil charges she is levelling at him include one count of assault, sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Roethlisberger’s attorney David Cromwell immediately dismissed the allegations, suggesting McNulty only came forward with her complaint now because his client won the Super Bowl back in February (09).
Now the footballer has issued a new statement to the media to reassert his innocence, insisting justice "will prevail".
Speaking on Thursday (23Jul09), Roethlisberger says, "I did not sexually assault Andrea McNulty.
"Saturday was the first that I learned of her accusations. Her false and vicious allegations are an attack on my family and on me. I would never, ever force myself on a woman. I want to fight to protect my family and my reputation. I’m not going to discuss my private life or this civil case in the media. I’ll respond to her outrageous allegations in the appropriate forum…
"The allegations against me are reckless and false. As much as I would like to answer everyone’s questions, I am going to respect the legal process and I am confident that the truth will prevail."

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ANGELINA JOLIE has been left awestruck by the strength of the thousands of displaced citizens in war-torn Iraq after paying her third visit to the country on Thursday (23Jul09) on behalf of the United Nations.
The Hollywood actress, a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, met with four families who had been forced to relocate from their home in the district of Abu Ghraib to the west of Baghdad.
The locals spoke to mother-of-six Jolie about the hardships they faced and their struggle to cover medical costs for various illnesses, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
After hearing about one man’s fight to raise his family in the tough conditions, the Tomb Raider star said, "It takes a lot of strength for you to survive this life. I don’t know if I would be strong enough to survive this." Jolie observed some changes in conditions since her last visit, but admitted a lot still needed to be done before the refugees could return to normality.
She noted, "There are some changes. There are returns of displaced people, not a big number, but there is progress. This is a moment where things seem to be improving on the ground, but Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives." Jolie has vowed to return to do all she can to help refugees rebuild their lives, telling the families, "I want to come back and find you in a better place and in a different situation. We hope that UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the government will support you in getting a piece of land. You need help not because you are poor, but because you are the future of Iraq." The star’s trip to the Middle East began on Tuesday (21Jul09) when she flew in with her seven-year-old son Maddox to attend the Arab Children’s Congress in Amman, Jordan, where she was a guest of honour.

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AMERICAN IDOL star CHRIS DAUGHTRY has ended MICHAEL JACKSON’s reign as the King of Pop on the U.S. album charts by debuting his second release at the top of the Billboard 200.
Daughtry’s self-named rock act enters the chart at number one with Leave This Town.
Jackson has been the best-selling album artist in America since his death last month (Jun09), but his back catalogue has been ineligible for the main charts.
Leave This Town is Daughtry’s second number one album.
Jack White’s rock group The Dead Weather debut their first album, Horehound, at six - it’s White’s sixth top 10 album.
Other top 10 new entries on the countdown are Joe’s Signature at seven and rapper Twista’s Category F5 at eight.
Last week’s (ends17Jul09) number one album, Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night falls a spot to two.

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WHITNEY HOUSTON is loving her musical comeback, insisting picking up the microphone again was like learning to ride a horse.
The singer is preparing for the release of her first album in six years, after cancelling plans to retire from music altogether.
Houston admits it wasn’t easy learning the ropes again, but it soon came back naturally to her.
She says, "It’s great to be back, it’s like learning to ride a horse again. A bike you can stop, brake. Sometimes you’ve got to pull the horse reins back, you’ve got to hold the rein a little better." I Look to You is set for release this September (09).

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JAMES BLUNT has refused comedy singer ‘WEIRD’ AL YANKOVIC the right to sell a parody of his single YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, vowing he will "never approve" its release.
Yankovic has written and recorded You’re Pitiful, his light-hearted take on Blunt’s 2005 hit, and had hoped to include it on his upcoming greatest hits album Essentials, scheduled to hit shelves later this year (09).
But the funnyman - best known for his satirical takes on Michael Jackson’s hits - has had to axe the song after Blunt failed to see the humour in the joke track.
Yankovic tells fans on his Twitter.com page, "In case you were hoping for You’re Pitiful to be included on my Essentials collection, sorry, this just in from Blunt’s manager: Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label."

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HARRISON FORD will be the star at this year’s (09) American film festival in Deauville, France - as the organisers’ guest of honour.
The Indiana Jones star, 67, will be feted at the 35th annual seaside event attended by a long list of Hollywood heavyweights, including Robin Wright Penn - who will receive a special tribute from festival organisers.
Deauville will also pay a posthumous hommage to American director Robert Aldrich, who helmed acclaimed films The Dirty Dozen and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane before his death in 1983.
Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is chairman of the jury at the 10-day festival, which kicks off on 3 September (09).

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DANIEL RADCLIFFE is convinced Hollywood celebrities inform paparazzi of their whereabouts - because he rarely has problems with photographers trailing him.
The Harry Potter star slips into movie theatres and shops without fans recognising him - and can recall every time he has met a snapper on the street since becoming famous.
And the actor, who turns 20 on Thursday (23Jul09), can’t understand why his fellow A-listers complain about having their every move followed.
He tells Empire magazine, "I don’t understand how people get recognised and turn up in (magazines) as often as they do. They must call them (snappers) up and tell them, otherwise I don’t get it. I’ve had so few problems with paparazzi. I’ve probably had four incidents in all this time. If they don’t know where you are then they’re not there." But Radcliffe insists he has no problems with Potter fanatics or photographers approaching him: "Some of my friends get annoyed about people coming up to me, but it’s fine and perfectly normal. You just get used to the fame thing."

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BEYONCE’s younger sister SOLANGE KNOWLES has followed through with her threat to shave her head - the singer has chopped off her long locks as part of a protest against interviewers who constantly ask her about her famous sibling.
Knowles recently took to the internet to voice her displeasure at members of the media who use their time with her to quiz her all about Beyonce - threatening to "turn into Britney (Spears) - shave my head and go totally crazy." And now Solange has lived up to her promise, and copied the Toxic star’s infamous head-shaving 2007 incident.
In a new Twitter.com post, she reveals she’s "not bald" but is just going through the "I wanna cut all my hair off phase." She has since been pictured out and about in Los Angeles sporting her new super-short cropped hairstyle.

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The BLACK EYED PEAS are all set to make chart history in the U.S. on Thursday (23Jul09) by becoming one of only three acts to score 16 consecutive weeks at the top of the singles chart.
The group’s hits Boom Boom Pow and I Gotta Feeling have spent 12 and three weeks at number one respectively, and the latter is expected to extend its stay by a week when the countdown is announced on Thursday.
The other two acts who have spent 16 consecutive weeks at number one in America are Boyz II Men, who scored the feat twice, and Mariah Carey.

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LISA MARIE PRESLEY is fighting to free a baby chimpanzee named after her.
Elvis’ daughter is urging bosses of party organisers Ed and Annette’s Monkeys and More, of Chicago, Illinois to place the ape in a sanctuary.
Lisa Marie the chimp is used as a crowd-pleasing exhibit at events staged by the company, but is reportedly kept in a small cage when not "working" - prompting staff at animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to call for action.
And Presley has joined the campaign to save her namesake, firing off a letter to Monkeys and More asking them to re-house the chimp.
She writes, "While it is flattering that you named her after me, it is concerning that there are reportedly some inhumane and unsafe practices that impact her well-being. PETA has asked me to become involved in asking you most humbly to please relinquish Lisa Marie to a sanctuary where she can live in comfort, peace, and the company of other chimpanzees.
"Years ago, my father also had a pet chimpanzee, and less was known then about their complex needs. Experts now tell us that the intricate bonds of a chimpanzee society are of the utmost importance to these animals. The lack of physical contact with other chimpanzees could do Lisa Marie irreparable harm.
"I urge you to seriously consider releasing Lisa Marie to a sanctuary. I would be thrilled to hear that you’ve allowed her to pursue a more free life as a true chimpanzee in a habitat that she could better thrive in."

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A legendary California ghost town is all set to go Hollywood thanks to a new movie venture.
Calico Ghost Town in the Mojave Desert will be the setting for a new spooky Wild West film.
The former mining town was abandoned in 1907 and has since become a tourist attraction and a theme park sideline at California’s Knott’s Berry Farm.

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Comedian TRACY MORGAN is grateful to have overcome his battle with alcoholism because it’s given him a second chance at becoming a better father.
The 30 Rock star struggled with his addiction for years, but after two arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2005 and 2006, he was forced to tackle his substance abuse head on.
Morgan has now been sober for 18 months but he admits it’s a daily battle to stay clean.
He says, "I’ve been sober for a year-and-a-half now, and I feel it all. I’m not inebriated anymore. I want to feel the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to remember it all. I couldn’t do that when I wasn’t sober. What I have learned over the years is to try to stay in the moment. I want to feel it all because I’ve realised nothing lasts. I’m not perfect but I strive for it. I take it one day at a time, but if you can get it to one hour at a time, I’m good." And he credits his three sons - Gitrid, 23, Malcolm, 21, and Tracy, Jr., 17, with ex-wife Sabrina - with giving him the motivation to kick his habit.
Morgan tells People.com, "I deal with my sons like young men. If they have a problem with something, they come to me. I am the type of dad that will drop everything I am doing for them, and always tell them to talk to me about it. I’m not (as) crazy as you’d think. They have grown to be respectable young men that (sic) are funnier than I could ever be."

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KATHERINE HEIGL is putting off kids, because she’s terrified pregnancy will turn her into a bloated mess.
The actress is keen to start a family with husband Josh Kelley, but she’s convinced she’ll pile on weight - and lose her slim physique forever.
Heigl tells Star magazine, "One day, sure, but pregnancy scares me. I know I’ll be one of those women who looks pregnant all over the body. I’ll get fatter and fatter from my toes up."

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Singer AMY WINEHOUSE has denied punching a dancer in the face at a charity event - insisting she felt intimidated by the girl and simply pushed her away.
The Back to Black hitmaker is accused of attacking Sherene Flash during a charity ball in London last September (08) after she tried to have her photo taken with the star.
Winehouse appeared at London’s City of Westminster magistrates’ court on Thursday (23Jul09) to stand trial on a charge of assault.
Flash told the hearing Winehouse looked "drunk and like she was on drugs" and alleged the star hit her in the face without provocation.
But Winehouse rebuffed the claims when she took the stand - denying she deliberately struck Flash.
The singer told the court, "She moved her left arm to lean down to me and tried to pose next to me. Her friend came round in front of us and started taking a picture. I was like, ‘Do I get a choice in this, hello?’ I pushed her up, like away. I wanted her away from me.
"It was more like an indication of ‘leave me alone, I’m scared of you’.
"Itâ��s just rude. My bodyguard was keeping an eye on what was going on. He stepped in. It was like, â��Let that girl be, sheâ��s drunk.â�� People are just rude or just mad these days. Or people canâ��t handle drink.â�� Winehouse also insisted she felt scared and intimidated by Flash because the dancer towered over her tiny frame - telling the court her diminutive stature meant she couldn’t have punched the dancer.
She even demonstrated her height by leaping out of the witness box to twirl in front of the judge.
Winehouse added, "She�s taller than me. I had flat shoes on. I�m probably 5 foot 2 inches to 3 inches tall. But my hair does make a difference.� Winehouse, 25, has pleaded not guilty to assault. The trial continues.

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The New York apartment where HEATH LEDGER died after suffering an accidental overdose has reportedly been sold in a foreclosure auction for $15 million (GBP10 million).
Ledger was renting the downtown Manhattan apartment for $23,000 (GBP15,330) at the time of his death in January 2008.
The apartment has remained empty since the tragic accident.
Palm Beach Mortgage Management’s Donald Burns, the main lender to the building, offered the winning bid through his lawyer, reports real-estate website therealdeal.com.

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s three children will be raised by his older sister REBBIE JACKSON, according to a new report.
The pop superstar’s kids Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II aka Blanket, have been left in the care of their grandmother Katherine since the sudden death of their father last month (Jun09).
Janet Jackson was allegedly helping her elderly mother look after the youngsters at the family home in Encino, California, and recent U.S. tabloid reports claimed the Nasty hitmaker had offered to become their primary guardian if the 79 year old was unable to do so.
But now TMZ.com reports Rebbie, 59, is likely to welcome them into the Las Vegas home she shares with her husband of 20 years instead.
Multiple sources have told the website the Jackson clan is united in nominating the eldest of the Thriller singer’s siblings to raise the children.
Katherine Jackson was awarded temporary guardianship of the kids pending a custody hearing next month (03Aug09) that the two older children’s biological mother, Debbie Rowe, is expected to attend.
Jackson’s will, which was filed in 2002, stipulates he wanted his mother to care for his children in the event of his death, and names singer Diana Ross as his second-choice guardian.

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