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Former SAVED BY THE BELL actor DUSTIN DIAMOND has accused TV bosses of paying off a girl who alleged his co-star MARIO LOPEZ date-raped her in 1993.
Diamond, who played geeky Samuel ‘Screech’ Powers in the hit ’90s show, has made a number of shocking revelations about activities behind the scenes of the high school drama in his new memoir Behind The Bell.
In one chapter, titled ‘A.C. Makes the Ladies Scream’, Diamond claims Lopez was a womaniser who regularly used his fame as character A.C. Slater to take advantage of female fans.
He writes, "(Lopez) hit on every co-star, every extra, every production assistant and every fan he found himself sitting next to." Lopez was at the centre of a date-rape scandal in 1993, when a teenage girl accused him of luring her back to his house and forcing himself on her.
A police investigation was launched but the TV hunk, who denied the claims, was never arrested and no charges were filed against him.
Diamond alleges the young girl only chose not to press charges after NBC network chiefs paid her $50,000 (£33,330) to "keep her mouth shut".
But the 32 year old insists he was not surprised when the date-rape case came to light, admitting, "He didn’t take no for an answer." Representatives for NBC and Lopez have refused to comment on Diamond’s claims.

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RANDY QUAID’s furious wife EVI has made her feelings about the cop who arrested the couple over non-payment of a hotel bill clear - by identifying him as a "corrupt cop" on a sign she spent Friday afternoon (25Sep09) parading outside his office.
Mrs. Quaid filed a formal complaint against Texas police officer Deputy James Davis, who took her and her movie star husband into custody on Thursday (24Sep09), accusing the cop of conspiring to set the couple up.
The Brokeback Mountain star and his partner each posted $20,000 (£13,300) bail on Thursday night (24Sep09) after they were arrested in rural Marfa over an outstanding $10,000 (£6,660) hotel bill.
A judge had issued a warrant for the couple’s arrest earlier in the day after hotel bosses at the luxury San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, claimed the Quaids had left without paying up.
Evi returned to the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office on Friday morning (25Sep09) and verbally abused arresting officer Deputy James Davis in what he has described as a "psychotic episode".
In a handwritten police statement, obtained by TMZ.com, Evi Quaid alleged Davis has partnered with two men, including the couple’s former business manager Mickey Segal, to extort cash from the Quaids.
She wrote, "I believe James Davis fraudulently organised an arrest of my husband and myself to receive money from Bob Boyett… (from) The Stagehands Union and our former business manager Mickey Segal, who are attempting to acquire our assets illegally by creating false evidence." And she didn’t leave her protest there - on Friday afternoon, Evi painted the sign ‘Deputy James Davis takes payments … call & make offers’ on the side of a rented van and drove it up and down the street outside the Marfa police station.
Deputy Davis tells TMZ.com, "She’s entitled to her freedom of speech, but at some point it becomes libel. I’m considering legal action if it continues."

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The two men accused of trying to extort millions from JOHN TRAVOLTA in return for handing over documents connected to the death of the movie star’s son in January (09) were reportedly caught on camera thrashing out a deal with the actor’s lawyer.
Paramedic Tarino Lightbourn and his lawyer, Pleasant Bridgewater, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion, but new evidence, obtained by America’s People magazine, could put the pair behind bars.
Videotape recorded secretly by the Royal Bahamas Police show Lightbourn and Bridgewater attempting to secure a multi-million payment from Travolta for the return of a form the star signed just before his son was pronounced dead.
Reports suggest the document, concerning where Travolta’s son Jett should be taken after suffering a seizure at the family’s holiday home, fell into the paramedics hands.
In the footage, Travolta’s lawyer, Michael McDermott, asks Lightbourn why he’s proposing the deal via a phone conference, to which the paramedic replies, "I was poor all my life. You know, me and my family, were struggling all our life. I wanted to do things for charity all of my life." The two men then appear to discuss payment options, while Bridgewater listens in.
According to a People reporter, who has seen the hidden camera footage, Lightbourn eventually agrees to a price of $15 million (GBP10 million) for the document and then protests when Travolta’s lawyer suggests the cash is handed over in installments, stating, "I can’t do installments. I want to get this behind me. I want to put this to rest. I don’t want to see you anymore." The 44-minute phone meeting ends after a deal is done, prompting Lightbourn to reportedly state, "Case closed. Case closed… Once this is closed, it’s buried deeper than the Titanic." A month after the alleged negotiation, Travolta met with Bahamas police officials to file a complaint that led to the current Nassau trial, which began earlier this week (beg21Sep09). The actor has already testified and is expected back on the stand next week (beg28Sep09).

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MICHAEL JACKSON filled one room in his Neverland Ranch home with mannequins - so he could feel like he was surrounded by people.
The King of Pop rarely invited others into his retreat, but agreed to conduct interviews with former confidante Rabbi Shmuley Boteach there between 1999 and 2001.
Boteach taped the candid chats and is now releasing them to media groups as part of the promotion surrounding his new book The Michael Jackson Tapes, in which he reveals hidden truths about the tragic pop star.
The Rabbi admits he was initially surprised by the room of dummies, but quickly understood why it was important to his former friend.
Jackson once told him that he knew his mannequin collection was odd, but attempted to explain it.
In the tapes, Jackson reveals, "I felt I needed someone… I was too shy to be around real people… I didn’t talk to them (mannequins), it wasn’t like old ladies talking to plants.
"I always thought about, ‘Why do I have these?’ I love them, it’s like real babies, kids, and people, but it makes me feel like I am in a room with people." Boteach says, "You get chills listening to this. His celebrity had created a degree of isolation, where he could not simply feel comfortable around other people - he felt that everybody wanted something from him; he felt that he was trapped in this cocoon of fame." And the Rabbi insists Jackson urged him to release the 30 hours of tapes, so fans and critics alike could understand the King of Pop better - and perhaps learn from his mistakes and those of his parents, who thrust him onto the stage at an early age.
Boteach adds, "He wanted people just to understand, ‘I may not be perfect but, before you judge me, know what I’ve been through, and he always wanted American families to heal based on his example.
"I think that what he shared in these conversations… was immensely courageous. For a superstar to bear his soul with this degree of rawness… so that families would learn. He did all this because he wanted to consecrate his fame to a higher cause and that cause was: ‘Parents prioritise your kids, don’t neglect them because look at what it did to me.’"

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HUGH HEFNER’s twin girlfriends KARISSA and CRYSTAL SHANNON are campaigning to get KELLY OSBOURNE to bare all in men’s magazine Playboy.
The busty blondes are big fans of Ozzy Osbourne’s offspring and they want her to strip for the publication.
Crystal says, "She’s losing weight and she’s blonde now. She looks good. I want to see what she looks like naked." Karissa adds, "Yeah, we want to see Kelly Osbourne naked!" And Hefner reveals that’s not an impossibility, telling Eonline.com he has approached the pop star with an offer, adding, "Kelly would be happy to pose." But she’s not his girl of the moment - Hef wants sexy Transformers star Megan Fox to reveal all, stating, "Megan’s a fox!"

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STING’s wife TRUDIE STYLER has invited 6,000 Chevron employees in the San Francisco, California area to view her new film CRUDE for free when it opens this weekend (25Sep09).
The documentary, which Styler produced, takes a look at the devastation oil companies like Chevron have created in the rainforests of Ecuador, where clean water is no longer available and animal species and indigenous tribespeople are dying at an alarming rate.
The documentary also chronicles the $27 billion lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador.
In her invitation, which was sent out to the employees earlier this week (beg21Sep09), Styler explained the impact of her experiences visiting Ecuadorian rainforest communities living with oil pollution and contaminated drinking water, which is documented in the film.
She says, "You may know me as Sting’s wife, and you may know of my work for the environment and human rights. You may also have heard my name mentioned as one of the celebrities speaking out in support of the 30,000 Ecuadorean citizens who are pursuing Chevron to clean up the pollution the company left behind in their homeland.
"Many people will assume that you and I must be on different sides of the fence on this issue. But I don’t believe that. I’m willing to bet that you and I, and all of your colleagues, agree that everyone has the fundamental right to the life-supporting elements of clean air and clean water… I’d like to give you the opportunity to make up your own mind about what has been going on in Ecuador, and to consider how justice can be achieved for the people suffering there. I’d like to invite you to the movies." Chevron spokesperson Kent Robertson would not confirm whether any Chevron representatives plan to see the film.

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Legendary blues drummer SAM CARR has died at a nursing home in Clarksdale, Mississsippi.
The 83 year old died on Monday (21Sep09) of congestive heart failure, according to reports.
A revered session man, Carr backed blues greats like Sonny Boy Williamson and Buddy Guy. He was considered by many one of the best blues drummers in America.
He started his career performing with his father, Robert Nighthawk.

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AEROSMITH star JOE PERRY is considering a future career in politics after meeting former presidential candidate JOHN MCCAIN.
The rocker, who endorsed McCain’s failed bid for the presidency, got the chance to meet the Republican during a trip to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (24Sep09) - and he was very impressed with the Arizona Senator.
He says, "I felt better about politics in general after meeting him." And Perry insists the meeting has made him think about a political future: "I could see changing things up a little. I’ve been playing rock and roll for a long time now, and if California can have actors for politicians, then maybe the rest of the country can have musicians."

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OZZY OSBOURNE has passed his driving test.
The former Black Sabbath rocker took to his Twitter.com account to tell fans the happy news on Thursday night (24Sep09).
He ‘tweeted’, "I just passed my driving test. Took me 60 years, but I did it! For the first time in my life, I’m legal to drive, so watch out!"

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AC/DC have postponed six upcoming U.S. dates to allow frontman BRIAN JOHNSON to recover from a medical procedure.
Johnson has been advised by doctors to rest, so planned October (09) dates in Arizona, Las Vegas, Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin have been scrapped.
The band hopes to be back on its Black Ice World Tour in Washington, DC. on 16 October (09).
No details about Johnson’s medical procedure have been released.
The rocker, 61, recently revealed he is considering retirement - because he fears he’s getting too old to rock.
The You Shook Me All Night Long singer told Classic Rock magazine he had planned to quit as the Aussie rockers’ singer in 2010 - 20 years after he replaced Bon Scott in the group - but his bandmates persuaded him to rock on for another nine months, to fulfil festival commitments into 2011.
Johnson told the publication, "We were talking about the end of the (current Black Ice) tour and I said, ‘We’re finishing in May (10) - and that’s me done!’ "But Malcolm (Young) said, ‘What are you talking about? We’re not gonna let you retire!’" Johnson admitted he’s not sure he’s got what it takes to carry on.
He adds, "I try to keep myself fit, and I love it being in this band… (but) the other lads are in their early fifties. I’m the old dog in the regiment. It’s a purely selfish thing. I don’t want to look a prat if I try to push it too far. I don’t want for people to see me on stage and say, ‘Oh, poor old f**ker, the band’s carrying him!’"

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Singer/songwriter CHYNNA PHILLIPS has spoken out in defence of her stepsister MACKENZIE following her revelations she had a decade-long sexual relationship with their father, MAMAS & THE PAPAS founder JOHN.
While her mother Michelle and stepsister Bijou have disputed the actress’ shocking claims and criticised her for going public with the family ’secret’ in a new memoir and on TV show Oprah earlier this week (23Sep09), former Wilson Phillips star Chynna is applauding Mackenzie for having the nerve to speak out.
She just wishes the scandal hadn’t become so public, so quickly.
Appearing on Oprah on Friday (25Sep09), she said she watched Wednesday’s show with trepidation: "I was praying for her (Mackenzie) the whole time because it’s a very, very taboo (subject). Many people were repulsed, many people were horrified at the allegations.
"I’m proud of my sister. Am I exceedingly joyful that my family secret that I told, maybe, my therapist, my husband and my very best friend in the world (is out)? No… it’s very upsetting." And Chynna revealed she believes her sister did have a sick romance with their father: "I’ve known for a long time… I do know there was a consensual relationship between my father and my sister that lasted for 10 years." She still recalls the moment her stepsister told her the ugly truth during a tense phone chat 12 years ago: "You could have dropped a piano on my head and I wouldn’t have felt it. I was completely stunned, shocked, I walked around in a comatose state for about 10 days. I believed her." And the Hold On singer can understand why her mother, Michelle Phillips, is so upset with Mackenzie’s big reveal: "I think my mom is angry, and I love my mother very, very much and she loves Mackenzie… I think that the most devastating thing is that when people are in denial and don’t want to look at things, and especially don’t want things on a public platform… It’s not something that my mom wants plastered all over the papers.
"Am I happy that Mackenzie has put me in this position, that now, here I am, having to discuss all these things? No, I’m not. But, at the same time, I have to forgive." Speaking via satellite, Mackenzie told her stepsister, "I’m really sorry… to put you in this position… but I don’t regret writing the book because I really think it’s gonna be a great help for a lot of people and it’s gonna help me."

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Actress MACKENZIE PHILLIPS’ shocking allegations she had a 10-year sexual relationship with her father have taken a new twist - his MAMAS & THE PAPAS co-founder knew all about the sick romance.
Late rocker Denny Doherty revealed all about his bandmate John Phillips’ sexual exploits to his daughter Jessica Woods, who watched Mackenzie’s big reveal on the Oprah show in America on Wednesday (23Sep09) and felt compelled to back up her story.
She has written to Oprah Winfrey, explaining her father knew all about the twisted romance all along.
She wrote, "I just watched the show with Mackenzie Phillips (and) tears are running down my face. Everything she said is true. My dad told me the awful truth. He was horrified at what John had done and knew all of it." Mackenzie says, "I’m very grateful to Jessica. I never knew she knew… I don’t know how Denny Doherty knew about the relationship."

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Actor KEN HOWARD has scored another big win just days after picking up an Emmy - he has been elected president of Hollywood union the Screen Actors Guild.
Howard, who claimed the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Emmy for playing Drew Barrymore’s father in Grey Gardens, will serve two years in the high-powered post, beginning on Friday (25Sep09).
He beat Anne-Marie Johnson, Seymour Cassel and Asmar Muhammad to become the new SAG president.
Howard tells WENN, "I am deeply honoured to be chosen by the membership to lead the Screen Actors Guild."

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Sexy MEGAN FOX is terrified of the dark.
The Transformers star insists on leaving all the lights on in her house when she’s not at home - so that she never has to return to a dark, empty place.
She says, "I’ve been afraid of the dark my whole life. If I go into my house at night and the lights have been turned off… I have to run from the door to the light switch to turn it on… I’m just afraid of what I can’t see." And her TV viewing doesn’t help her paranoia: "I watch a lot of paranormal shows, like Ghost Hunters… and they freak me out."

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NEVE CAMPBELL is set to SCREAM again - she has signed on to reprise her role as SIDNEY PRESCOTT in a fourth horror film.
Back in June (09), it was reported the actress had pulled out of the movie, but now producer Bob Weinstein has confirmed she’ll join fellow Scream regulars Courteney Cox and David Arquette for the third sequel.
Weinstein reveals Scream 4 will start production in April or May next year (10) and he’s now in talks with Wes Craven, the man behind the camera for the previous three Scream films, to direct.
The first two Scream movies grossed more than $100 million (£66.7 million) each, while Scream 3 grossed $89 million (£59.3 million) in the U.S.

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Actor VINCENT D’ONOFRIO has confirmed he’s handing over his TV cop badge and exiting LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT.
The Full Metal Jacket star will leave the show during an upcoming two-part season premiere; Jeff Goldblum will replace him on the hit show.
A statement from the actor, who played Detective Robert Goren in more than 130 episodes between 2001 and 2009, reads, "After eight seasons, and with the addition of Jeff Goldblum, now is the perfect time for me to explore other acting opportunities and I leave the show knowing it is in great hands with Jeff." But he has assured fans his character won’t be killed off: "I wouldn’t be surprised if Goren pops up from time to time."

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Moviemaker BRETT RATNER lost his virginity to a paraplegic dangling from a tree - and now he has turned the sexual encounter into a scene in his latest film.
The Rush Hour director reveals his odd short, as part of new movie New York I Love You, is based on a real episode during his youth in Miami, Florida.
But he had to tone down the sex scene in the movie - because producers couldn’t stomach the idea of his lead actor, Anton Yelchin, making love to a tied-up paraplegic woman.
Ratner explains, "It’s probably my most personal film. When I sent the original script, which is autobiographical, the producers would not let me film it because, in the original ending, she (the girl) is a cripple, and they have sex as she’s hanging from a tree in Central Park.
"Everyone was freaking out over my short, so I changed it to where she wasn’t a cripple, but an actress pretending to be a cripple." In the disturbing scene, the girl, played by Olivia Thirlby, insists Ratner’s character (Yelchin) makes love to her, while she is suspended from a tree.
The moviemaker relocated the scene to New York’s Central Park and admits he had all kinds of problems shooting there.
He adds, "I had just two days to shoot the scene. I thought it would be easy because it was Central Park… I go into the park and I take the girl, and she weighs, like, 75 pounds and I hang her off the tree. The problem was that the law in Central Park states that you’re not allowed to touch a tree if you’re a film crew; you can’t go near a tree.
"So they said, ‘You can’t do this, can you make it a pole?’ I said, ‘I can’t, it has to be a tree.’ They wouldn’t even allow us to go on the grass. So, in the gravel part of the park, I put all this fake grass down and we had to bring in, believe it or not, our own tree that we flew in from upstate New York! We put that tree up and it was a nightmare because there were park rangers watching us making sure we weren’t breaking the law. It was crazy."

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Actress BIJOU PHILLIPS has been left devastated by her sister MACKENZIE’s incest revelations, insisting she can’t believe their father, MAMAS & THE PAPAS star JOHN PHILLIPS, once raped his daughter and then enjoyed a decade-long consensual affair with her.
Mackenzie has revealed all about her twisted romance with her father in her new memoir, High on Arrival, and she stunned America on Wednesday (23Sep09) when she spoke out about the affair on daytime TV show Oprah.
The actress’ stepmother Michelle Phillips, who was also a member of the Mamas & The Papas, immediately fired back at the claims, suggesting Mackenzie’s recollections could not be believed - because she’s a longtime drug abuser, and now her stepsister has spoken in defence of her father.
Bijou Phillips insists it’s not the first time she has heard her sister’s outrageous claims, stating, "When I was 13, Mackenzie told me that she had a consensual sexual relationship with our father. This news was confusing and it was also scary, as I lived alone with him since I was three. I didn’t know what to believe and it didn’t help that shortly thereafter Mackenzie told me it didn’t happen." In a statement to Oprah Winfrey’s show, Bijou added, "Mackenzie’s history with our father is hers, but also clouded with 30 years of drug abuse. I hope she can come to terms with this and find peace.
"The life I had with my father was very different; he was Mr. Mom, he was encouraging and loving. The man that raised me would never be capable of doing such things, and if he was, it is heartbreaking for me to think that my family would leave me alone with him.
"I understand Mackenzie’s need to come clean with a history that she feels will help others but it’s devastating to have the world watch as we try to mend broken fences, especially as the man in question isn’t here to defend himself." Re-appearing on the show, Mackenzie admitted she hated the idea of falling out with her stepsister, who bailed her out after her drug arrest last year (08).
She said, "I love my baby sister and I miss having contact with her. I understand how this is for her and my heart goes out to her." Phillips was then questioned by Winfrey about why she left her stepsister with her father when she knew of his deviant nature.
The actress said, "Maybe I did her a disservice… but I felt she was safe. I did go there and I did take her out of there at one point, where I felt like she wasn’t being watched properly. I didn’t feel she was in any sexual danger." She added, "I have done my best to protect Bijou, even through this firestorm." Mackenzie was joined by her other stepsister, Chynna Phillips, on the Oprah show on Friday (25Sep09). Chynna believes her sister’s claims.

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