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JESSICA SIMPSON has lashed out at cruel pranksters who have been sending in fake tip-offs about the whereabouts of her missing dog.
The singer/actress launched a major search for her beloved Maltipoo Daisy when she was snatched and dragged off by a coyote outside her Los Angeles home last month (Sep09).
Simpson has yet to locate the missing mutt but admits jokers have been taunting her and her devastated family with false information.
She writes on her Twitter.com page, "People have been contacting my family and friends saying that Daisy has been found. Untrue. People are so cruel… please respect her memory."

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Celebrity surfers including MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, ADAM SANDLER and CAMERON DIAZ have been warned to stay out of the water at a Santa Monica, California beach after a shark was spotted in the sea.
The stars have been put on high alert after a great white shark, measuring between eight and 10 feet (2.4 to 3 metres) long, was recently snapped leaping out of the water off the California coast.
Surfer John Philbin, who appeared in Point Break alongside the late Patrick Swayze, tells People.com, "People are taking this seriously. It’s kept more than a few people out of the water this week." Actress Helen Hunt and Mad Men star John Slattery are also regulars on the stretch of beach.

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Rapper J.R. WRITER is recovering after he was shot in New York.
The star, an affiliate of Jim Jones’ Diplomats crew, sustained a bullet wound on Sunday evening (11Oct09) while out in the Bronx.
Details surrounding the incident are scarce but Writer confirmed the shooting on Twitter.com, telling fans: "Thank the Lord I’m alive, they tried to kill ya (sic) boy." Writer’s spokesperson has yet to comment on the report.

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The man behind what has become BOYZONE’s final gig as a five-piece has been left stunned by STEPHEN GATELY’s death - because the singer was so fired up about the band’s future.
Promoter Kevin Newton organised the group’s Big Gig Weekend performance at the Royal Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallet, England on 26 September (09), and has fond memories of speaking with Gately backstage.
Newton tells WENN, "After headlining the Saturday night we had a celebratory drink together at the Canards Hotel, where most of the crew were staying.
"Stephen was in thoroughly good form and looking forward to an exciting year ahead. He explained how the band were putting together an album and hoped they would be welcome back to the Big Gig next year.
"What a tragedy for everyone. We feel privileged that their performance was so well received by the crowd. It was a wonderful final performance by one of the country’s finest entertainers." Gately died on Saturday (10Oct09) while vacationing in Majorca.

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The death of KANDI BURRUSS’ fiance came as a double blow for the R&B singer/songwriter because she had lost her uncle just days before.
Ashley ‘AJ’ Jewell, who appeared alongside Burruss on reality TV show The Real Housewives of Atlanta, died from severe head injuries sustained in a brawl outside a bar in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this month (Oct09).
Burruss’ former Xscape bandmate Tameka ‘Tiny’ Cottle admits her friend has yet to fully confront her sudden loss.
She tells AllHipHop.com, "She’s doing as to be expected. I think it feels like a dream kind of thing so she’s just taking it easy.
"You know her uncle just passed too so it’s like a double whammy on her and she’s trying to be strong. It’s a tough place to be in. You lose your uncle, somebody she’s been close with, and then her ex (sic) all at one time." Shortly before Jewell’s death, Burruss admitted they had put off their impending nuptials to work out their relationship problems.

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Playboy playmate SHAUNA SAND is seeking to take legal action against a film distribution company over the release of a sex tape featuring the model and her boyfriend.
The busty blonde claims an explicit video set to be released by Vivid Entertainment has been acquired illegally and the company’s bosses have no legal right to distribute the racy footage.
She tells TMZ.com, "Yes, I did make a sex tape with my boyfriend earlier this year. In fact, I’ve made several sex tapes, but I certainly didn’t sign off on this and Vivid has no right to put it out. I am trying to get a hold of my attorney now." Sand wants to block the adult footage from being released to the public, but Vivid boss Steven Hirsch is confident his company has done nothing wrong.
He says, "We were approached by a third party, who brought us footage of Shauna having sex with her current boyfriend and we were immediately interested in acquiring it… We’re comfortable with out legal position in releasing this footage."

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Director BRETT RATNER has blasted comic book fans who criticised X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and laughed off his reputation as the "geek’s Anti-Christ".
Die-hard fans of the Marvel series were sceptical when Ratner was chosen to replace Bryan Singer at the franchise’s helm, and they were equally critical of his end product.
But Ratner refused to be rattled by the negativity, and takes solace from the fact the critics still paid to see the 2006 movie - making it the highest grossing X-Men movie in the trilogy.
He tells Starpulse.com, "You can’t make these people happy. I’m kind of the Anti-Christ to these comic book geeks. Every single person that wrote (sic) s**t went to see that movie multiple times because a movie doesn’t gross $200 something million unless people go to see it more than once. Every single person who said, ‘I’m never seeing that movie,’ they were the first ones there.
"What are they concerned about? It’s out of the filmmaker’s hands. A film is a collaborative effort. How’s a person sitting at home going to worry about how a movie is going to turn out to be? I just know one thing: mine outgrossed the other two by far. Mine was the one that made the most narrative sense. And I’m not knocking Bryan’s movie but he just does a certain thing; Bryan uses his brain and I use my eye and my instincts more. It’s a whole different approach to making a movie. I’m not saying my movie wasn’t smart; I just wasn’t intellectualising it. I was just looking at it as pure entertainment value which is what it was." And Ratner is adamant he helped to revive the series and make it more popular than ever: "The most ridiculous statement I’ve read is - and of course I looked at the internet after the movie came out - that I buried the franchise. If I buried the franchise how the f**k did they make a Wolverine (spin-off)? I mean, that’s ridiculous. And they’re making three other f**king X-Men movies. Mine kept the franchise alive!"

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SUPERBAD actor BILL HADER has become a father for the first time.
The comedian’s wife Maggie Carey gave birth to baby girl Hannah Kathryn Hader last Tuesday (06Oct09), just two months (Aug09) after the couple confirmed its happy news.
Hader and Carey wed in 2006.

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BILL PULLMAN and JULIA STILES have earned mixed reviews from Broadway theatre critics with their revival of DAVID MAMET’s play OLEANNA.
The show, about the power struggle between a university professor and his female student, opened in New York on Sunday night (11Oct09) to a lukewarm response, with Stiles being criticised for her lack of emotion.
The New York Post writes, "Stiles - raw and intense, her mouth compressed into a grim line - barely reins in what you suspect are pools of anger," while Daily Variety says of her performance: "Stiles has a tendency toward sulkiness that doesn’t do much to soften her impossible character." Pullman fairs better with theatre experts, who have hailed his portrayal of lecturer John.
Bloomberg.com says, "The revival does profit here from good performances and apt direction. Pullman is an expert at good-natured masculinity turning ugly when sorely beleaguered…" Daily Variety adds, "Pullman is a far more emotionally available actor… (His) body language is transfixing." However, the Associated Press notes the complexity of Mamet’s work and credits the actors for their efforts: "Oleanna is a fiendishly difficult play to pull off, but Pullman and Stiles, under the precise, careful direction of Doug Hughes, make the most of Mamet’s seemingly imprecise language." Oleanna is not the only big-name Broadway production to face criticism this autumn (09) - Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig’s turn in A Steady Rain has been largely panned by theatre reviewers, while Jude Law’s Hamlet split critics in their opinion.

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British actor ORLANDO BLOOM has been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The Pirates of the Caribbean star first joined forces with the non-governmental organisation in 2007 and has since worked with UNICEF officials to raise awareness about children’s rights across the globe, a campaign he will continue in his new role.
He says, "I look forward to working with UNICEF as they continue to make the world a better place for children.
"UNICEF doesn’t just deliver humanitarian aid, which is what they are known for all over the world; they also educate and provide tools which help women and children face challenges specific to their own lives. I responded to how UNICEF works as much as I did to the work itself. I look forward to learning more and to supporting UNICEF any way I can." Bloom’s first assignment as a Goodwill Ambassador will be to shoot a public service announcement highlighting the importance of access to clean drinking water.
He joins stars including Angelina Jolie, Selena Gomez and George Clooney in lending their backing to the various United Nations causes.

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HILARY SWANK’s new biopic about AMELIA EARHART is sure to be a fly-away success if demand for the aviator’s memorabilia is an indicator - her goggles topped all celebrity items at a California auction last week (09Oct09).
The eye accessories Earhart wore during her historic 1932 solo transatlantic flight sold for more than a guitar Elvis Presley used onstage in Las Vegas and an endoskeleton from Terminator sequel T2 3-D.
Auction experts at Profiles in History were stunned as the goggles sent bidding into a flurry - they eventually went under the hammer for $141,600 (GBP94,400) at the 37th Hollywood Memorabilia Auction.
Presley’s personal Martin D-28 guitar state, used in his final Las Vegas performance, fetched $106,200 (GBP70,800) and an original hero screen-used T-800 Endoskeleton from T2 3-D: Battle Across Time went under the hammer for $94,400 (GBP62,933).
Also snapped up at the auction: a full-scale screen-used Hero Bumblebee robot from Transformers, Michael Jackson’s iconic illuminating glove worn on state during The Jackson’s Victory Tour and a Harrison Ford-signed Indiana Jones bullwhip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

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Singer/actress VANESSA WILLIAMS has hired her daughter as her stylist.
The Ugly Betty star’s 22-year-old kid Melanie graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) and helped Williams pick her outfit for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards.
And the youngster has shown such a flair for style, the star has decided to give her a full-time job.
Williams says, "She’s my stylist now. She went to F.I.T. and specialised in fashion merchandising." And the proud mum had no doubt her daughter would make it big as a fashion diva: "She was one of those kids who, when she was growing up, I’d put jeans on her and she’d kick them off and want to put on a pretty dress. She’s a girly, girly girl."

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Veteran singer DAME VERA LYNN has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award in London.
Lynn, who found fame during the Second World War, was celebrated at the annual Women of the Year luncheon on Monday (12Oct09), accepting her statuette from opera singer Katherine Jenkins.
The 92-year-old star told the crowd she was so proud that her wartime hit We’ll Meet Again had touched so many people.
She says, "It’s lovely to be recognised all those years after the event. I’m still very proud of the fact that is a song that has gone around the world. What better words can you have when your loved one has gone to war and you leave your family behind?" The singer made history last month (Sep09) by becoming the oldest living artist to top the U.K. album chart with her compilation We’ll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn.

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Pop superstar PRINCE was left stunned during a recent concert in Paris, France - when fans agreed to honour his request not to use camera phones to record his show.
The Purple Rain hitmaker insists on restricting the use of cameras at his gigs because he hates seeing poor quality footage of his performances online - but he never expected French fans to honour his request.
He admits he was pleasantly surprised not to see the glow of a camera phone during his concert at the Grand Palais on Sunday (11Oct09) - and he thinks Americans could learn a lot from the politeness of their French counterparts.
He says, "It is actually indescribable, that much love. They were very respectable.
"We asked that no one used camera phones and they honoured that request, unlike Americans who are so obsessed with technology.
"We don’t like to have our concert filmed that way because it sounds so bad and then you give all the footage to somebody like YouTube."

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AEROSMITH star JOE PERRY has accused his bandmates of taking their fans for granted over the past three years.
As the band prepares to reconvene for the first time since frontman Steven Tyler fell from a stage in South Dakota at the beginning of August (09) and shattered his collarbone, Perry admits he’s keen to get back on the road and show fans how much he cares.
The band was forced to scrap a summer tour because of Tyler’s injuries - and they’ve been out of action ever since.
In a new Billboard.com interview, he says, "The thing that bothers me the most is how it (time off) affects the fans… The only reason you’re there is because of the fans. You owe them a lot, and when you start taking them for granted it’s just wrong.
"I think that a lot of what happened with Aerosmith over the last two or three years has been a case of that. And I’m not talking about everybody in the band. I think at this point the four band members are willing to not play for a while until the fifth member gets together and decides to come and join us again." His comments come just weeks after Perry revealed he and injured frontman Tyler hadn’t spoken for a month, but last week (ends09Oct09) the guitarist insisted the band isn’t close to splitting up, despite reports to the contrary and obvious friction among bandmates.
He said, "Aerosmith is taking a breather." The band will perform a private concert at a San Francisco, California software convention later this week (beg12Oct09) and the bandmates are scheduled to play two shows in Hawaii later this month (Oct09).
Perry has also confirmed the band will perform at a Formula One race meeting in the United Arab Emirates on 1 November (09).
He states, "We’re getting our visas together and the papers drawn up and everything."

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Violin virtuoso JOSHUA BELL fears he’ll come face to face with the fan who lies her way into shows, telling venues she’s the classical music star’s wife.
The Grammy Award-winning Indiana native loves his fans, who come in all shapes, sizes and age, but there’s one "stalker" he’d rather not meet.
He tells WENN, "One woman in particular goes around and tells the venues that she’s my wife, which she’s not. The problem is I think she actually believes it herself which is the scary part." The musician’s favourite fans are kids and the 80 year olds who follow him around America: "It’s kind of neat that I have followers that are very young because I like to attract younger people to classical music. I do have a lot of young kids writing to me on my website and showing up at concerts, and then some very old ones.
"I have a few 80-year-old ladies that follow me around to various cities; it’s fun to see them."

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Production on new TV drama PARENTHOOD is back on track - actress LAUREN GRAHAM has stepped in to replace breast cancer sufferer MAURA TIERNEY.
Former E.R. star Tierney was forced to pull out of the upcoming series in July (09) after she was diagnosed with the disease, bringing shooting to a halt.
Helen Hunt had been tipped to pick up where Tierney left off, but Graham has been chosen as the star’s replacement.
The Bad Santa star will portray a single mother of two teenage kids who moves in with her parents - the same character Tierney played in the pilot episode.
Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard and Bonnie Bedelia are also part of the ensemble cast.

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Star-studded movie musical NINE has had its release pushed back to December (09).
The film, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard, was expected to hit U.S. cinemas in time for the Thanksgiving Day weekend (26-29Nov09), but the picture, directed by Rob Marshall, will now get a limited U.S. release on 18 December (09) before opening across America and in the U.K. on Christmas Day (25Dec09).
Studio bosses at the Weinstein Co. insist the date change is not the result of delays in production, reports Variety.com.

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