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A judge in New York has dismissed an appeal from a chef who accused JERRY SEINFELD’s wife of stealing a cookbook concept - insisting the author di dn’t require "much cooking expertise" to put together the recipes.
Chef Missy Chase Lapine sued the funnyman’s wife Jessica in 2008, claim ing Seinfeld’s bestselling cookbook Deceptively Delicious had been "braze nly plagiarised" from her own tome, The Sneaky Chef.
Both books allegedly contained ideas for pureeing vegetables and hiding them in children’s food.
A judge threw out the plagiarism suit in September last year (09), but Lapine lodged an appeal - and when the case went back to court on Monday (26Apr10), Judge Reena Raggi dismissed the suit and criticised Lapine’s c laim, according to the New York Daily News.
She told the court, "You make purees and put them in these recipes? Tha t’s it? I don’t think one needs much cooking expertise to know this." (LR

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BLADE RUNNER star SEAN YOUNG is making the transition to daytime TV - she ’s landed a role on U.S. soap opera THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.
The actress is set to follow in the footsteps of James Franco, who join ed General Hospital last year (09), and Julianne Moore who recently retur ned to As the World Turns for a guest appearance 12 years after she quit the show.
Young’s story arc, which begins filming next month (May10), will reunit e her with actor Eric Braeden, her co-star in 2007 Civil War drama The Ma n Who Came Back.
And Young admits she’s excited about her upcoming soap debut, telling P eople.com, "Getting the chance to work with my dear friend Eric Braeden, one of the true gentlemen in entertainment, was certainly a deciding fact or for me - as well as wanting to get back to work after taking a few yea rs off to raise my kids." Young’s episodes will begin airing in the U.S. in June (10) - shortly b efore David Hasselhoff makes his comeback on the soap which launched his career.

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British actor IDRIS ELBA was so determined to land a role in TV drama THE WIRE, he spent three years mastering an American accent.
The star grew up in London but knew he would have to disguise his roots if he wanted to build a successful career in the U.S.
So he vowed to perfect an American twang, and tested his efforts by tra velling in cabs and trying to pass himself off as a native - but was expo sed whenever he tried to woo a woman with his drawl.
Elba tells Britain’s Live magazine, "Mastering an American accent was m y most difficult challenge. It took me three years to get it right. It se emed to me the ultimate test was to convince real Americans I was one of them - so I’d climb into a cab and try to pass myself off as an American.
"Cab drivers tended to fall for it. It was harder to convince in social situations. Women would look at me suspiciously and ask where I was real ly from. For those three years, every day was an exam day. Some days I pa ssed, some days I didn’t. By the time I came to audition for The Wire, I was able to pass myself off as an actor from Brooklyn."

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BURT REYNOLDS is feeling "fabulous" after undergoing heart surgery in Feb ruary (10) - he now wants to "live to be 199".
The 74 year old was diagnosed with clogged arteries after a routine che ck-up earlier this year (10), and immediately underwent an operation to c orrect the condition.
The actor admits he was lucky doctors were able to spot the problem, an d he’s delighted with his renewed health since the surgery.
He tells People.com, "I was a heart attack waiting to happen… My doct or said I needed to undergo bypass surgery immediately. I went home and s haved then had the operation the next day. (Now I want to) live to be 199 .." The Boogie Nights star insists he was out of his hospital bed and exerc ising just five days after the operation and now "feels fabulous". (PAW/W

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British actor PHIL DANIELS is wary of starring in a QUADROPHENIA remake - because he’s convinced film bosses should focus on making new movies.
The star played hero Jimmy Cooper in the 1979 film set in 1960s England , but he’s anxious about plans for a big screen revamp.
He tells Britain’s The Sun, "I think they’ve got a script and are serio usly thinking about a remake. If there was a sequel I could play Michael Elphick’s part, the drunken dad.
"But I don’t think there should be a remake. They should move on, do so mething else, make another cult youth movie."

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Australian actors CHRIS HEMSWORTH and RYAN KWANTEN are the toast of their native country - they will receive the top honours at an upcoming awards show to celebrate Aussie stars in Hollywood.
The Breakthrough Awards, organised by the Australians In Film associati on, is designed to recognised the achievements of stars from Down Under w ho are carving out careers in the American entertainment industry.
Hemsworth, who will appear in upcoming superhero blockbuster Thor, and True Blood star Kwanten will follow in the footsteps of other actors incl uding Sam Worthington, Mia Wasikowska, Isla Fisher and Abbie Cornish, who are all previous winners.
The event, which will take place in Los Angeles on 13 May (10), will al so see the announcement of the 2010 winner of the Heath Ledger Scholarshi p - a sum of $10,000 (=C2=A37,140) plus return airfare from Australia whi ch will be awarded to one emerging Aussie to help pursue a career in the U.S.

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ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS follow-up THE SQUEAKQUEL is at the centre of a le gal battle - the family which owns the rights to the franchise is demandi ng bosses at 20th Century Fox hand over half the profits from the film.
Executives at Bagdasarian Productions, along with writer Janice Karman, allege "substantial copyrighted" portions of a screenplay Karman wrote w ere used in last year’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel without p ermission.
The lawsuit claims Karman, who is married to the son of late Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., penned a screenplay for the film and was o ffered a compensation fee from the studio, which she turned down as insuf ficient.
The family’s complaint reads: "Karman’s provision of her screenplay wri tings to Fox was conditioned upon the payment of adequate compensation fo r those writings and her attendant services, which Karman never received.
" But Fox studio executives are planning to battle the suit, calling it " completely without merit".
A statement from Fox adds, "We look forward to resolving our difference s and, in the meantime, we are continuing to move forward with this franc hise." The plaintiffs want Karman to be made a co-owner of the script, and arg ue she should receive half of all profits "attributable to The Squeakquel ’s screenplay". The animated movie raked in more than $442 million (=C2=A3 295 million) at the worldwide box office, reports Reuters. (PAW&ZN/WNWR/L

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EMILY BLUNT turned down a role in upcoming blockbuster THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA because she was reluctant to commit to a long-term franc hise.
The actress was offered the chance to play Captain America’s love inter est Peggy Carter in the forthcoming comic book adaptation, but rejected t he role because she wants to remain open to other projects.
She tells MTV.com, "I’m a big supporter of (director) Joe Johnston and I think that Captain America is going to be really fun and I gather that the story is really interesting. It just wasn’t what I wanted to do next, to be honest.
"There’s definitely a high commitment level and I’m not someone who lik es to plan too much ahead. That would also be an issue for me as well." Blunt previously gave up the part of the Black Widow in Iron Man 2, whi ch was later handed to Scarlett Johansson, due to scheduling conflicts, b ut the 27 year old remains optimistic she’ll get to star in a comic book film soon.
She adds, "I don’t tend to be fatalistic about these things. I think fo r me the job always has to be the right thing at the right time. Neither of them happened to be that." Blunt’s fiance John Krasinski was the front runner to play Captain Amer ica but the role eventually went to Fantastic Four actor Chris Evans, whi le rising British star Hayley Atwell was handed the leading lady role. (P

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Australian actor MATTHEW NEWTON has been admitted to rehab in Melbourne t o treat undisclosed personal issues.
The Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities star checked into a private hospit al earlier this month (Apr10), just weeks after he was accused of trashin g a hotel room in Melbourne where he was staying with his girlfriend, Tra nsformer actress Rachael Taylor.
Newton allegedly punched holes in the walls, smashed glass in the bathr oom and caused more than $3,633 (=C2=A32,434) of damage, although he deni ed any knowledge of the "incident".
His actor father Bert Newton, who is due to host Australia’s prestigiou s Logie Awards on Sunday (01May10), has confirmed the star is seeking tre ating.
He says, "We want what’s best for Matthew and we are with him all the w ay." Family friend, Jillian Bowen, adds, "Matthew is in hospital at the mome nt, but we do ask people to understand that this is a private time and we won’t be discussing any details." In 2007, Newton pleaded guilty to an assault charge after pushing and p unching an ex-girlfriend. He was placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond and the conviction was later quashed.

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DENZEL WASHINGTON has received mixed reviews for his first turn on Broadw ay in five years - his performance in FENCES has been called both "comman ding" and "hollow".
The Oscar-winning actor hasn’t been seen on the New York stage since he starred in a 2005 revival of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and he returns in a new production of August Wilson’s play, which opened on Monday nigh t (26Apr10).
Washington previously admitted he had reservations about taking on the lead role of Troy, which was made famous by legendary actor James Earl Jo nes in a 1987 production.
But New York Times critic Ben Brantley has praised the actor for making his portrayal different to Jones’. He writes, "Mr. Washington… has his own personal spectre to wrestle with in this production. Mr. Washington is stepping into the outsize shadow of James Earl Jones. His Troy, not un expectedly, is smaller than Mr. Jones’ was, but that also means it is on a more human scale and in some ways more intricately drawn. Mr. Washingto n has to work hard to build his Troy, brick by brick instead of with one overwhelming first impression." But Brendan Lemon, writing in London’s Financial Times, wasn’t as impre ssed with Washington’s performance.
He adds, "You are aware of Washington’s commanding gifts as an actor; ( but) at other times, his directness seems hollow. In sensitive moments, W ashington reminds me of what Hollywood siren Raquel Welch once observed o f her football-legend-turned-movie-actor co-star, Jim Brown: ‘He has trou ble melting.’" And Joe Dziemianowicz, of the New York Daily News, writes, "Denzel Wash ington’s acting suffers due to too much soapiness. (He) barrels onstage i n Fences and guns it, roaring instantly from zero to 60 in both intensity and volume. He leaves it revving there. All night. After a while, it bec omes more exhausting than exhilarating."

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Former porn star JENNA JAMESON has blasted her boyfriend TITO ORTIZ after he blamed their domestic disturbance on her alleged prescription drug ad diction - she’s branded the accusation "completely false".
The mixed martial arts champion was arrested on domestic violence charg es at the couple’s California home on Monday (26Apr10) and was later free d from Huntington Beach jail after posting bail.
Upon his release, he staged a news conference in Hollywood, where his l awyer Chip Matthews insisted Ortiz "never touched" Jameson, and claimed t he incident was sparked when his client confronted the blonde over an all eged addiction to painkiller OxyContin.
Matthews alleges Jameson has been hooked on the drug for the last year.
A tearful Ortiz told reporters, "Jenna will be okay. My parents have go ne through addiction and I’m not going to let my family go through that." But the actress maintains Ortiz is making false accusations because he’ s "very, very desperate" to repair his damaged reputation, telling TMZ.co m, "He’s trying to save his career." Jameson alleges Ortiz threw her into a bathtub, tearing two of her shou lder ligaments, after she said "something very hurtful to his ego".
The star, who was photographed with a bandage around her upper right ar m on Monday, has 13-month-old twin boys, Jesse and Journey, with Ortiz. (

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GWYNETH PALTROW is glad she finally employed a nanny to care for her two young children - because she "couldn’t work" without the additional home help.
The Shakespeare In Love star and husband Chris Martin have two kids, Ap ple, five, and four-year-old Moses, and they refused to employ a nanny fo r years - with Paltrow taking time out from acting to focus on motherhood ..
But the 37 year old admits she’s now hired a professional to help take care of her children, and she couldn’t imagine working without the "life- saver".
She tells Britain’s The Sun, "I have a nanny and she’s just like part o f our family. She’s lovely and a life-saver and I couldn’t work without h er.
"I couldn’t be here without her because she loves my children and they love her."

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"Still in exile. My radio show will come to you from Australia. Raft idea abandoned due to laziness." British singer JAMIE CULLUM is still strande d Down Under thanks to flight chaos caused by Iceland’s volcanic eruption earlier this month (Apr10).

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British singer SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR is tired of seeing other pop stars bui ld up business empires - because friends assume she should be doing the s ame.
The Murder On The Dancefloor hitmaker is preparing to launch her fourth album, Straight to the Heart, later this year (10) - and she’s adamant s he’s just concentrating on her music.
She says, "People say to me, ‘What are you up to at the moment?’ I say, ‘I’ve got my fourth album’, and they’ll go, ‘What else have you got - a clothing brand or launching a new hotel?’ You can’t be seen to be doing o ne thing any more." But Ellis-Bextor admits there is one venture she wouldn’t mind explorin g: "A perfume would be quite fun!"

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MCFLY star TOM FLETCHER is nursing a sprained ankle after injuring himsel f during a soccer game.
The British singer took time out from recording the band’s forthcoming album to play a game of soccer on Monday (26Apr10) - but fell and hurt hi mself.
He uploaded a picture of his swollen foot to his Twitter.com page, and in a subsequent post, he writes, "Oh dear… twisted my ankle at football …. slightly swollen. Ahhh, only a couple of hours wait to have an x-ray.
" He then reported back on his injury: "Doc (doctor) said it’s a ‘very ba d sprain’. She also took the mickey out of (mocked) my tattooed, swollen foot. Home to ice it now. What an adventure! Genuinely can’t walk. Crawle d up the stairs." The star is the latest Brit to suffer a foot injury - The Wire actor Id ris Elba has a cast on his leg after falling during a soccer game, David Beckham has been ruled out of the World Cup after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon, while Lost star Dominic Monaghan has smashed his metatarsal. (CL

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SIR PAUL McCARTNEY’s ex-wife HEATHER MILLS was so desperate to see WHITNE Y HOUSTON perform in London later this week (28Apr10), she entered a loca l radio contest - and won.
The charity campaigner was awarded $38.9 million (=C2=A324.3 million) f rom the former Beatle in their divorce settlement, but even money couldn’ t buy her tickets to the I Will Always Love You hitmaker’s sold-out show.
So Mills rang British station Heart FM Sussex and entered a contest to win tickets for Houston’s gig at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday (28Apr10) ..
Introducing herself as "Heather from Hove" who was "just about to take her dog for a walk", the 42 year old successfully identified the missing word to a Houston song to win the tickets.
And she was delighted to land the prize, screaming: "That’s wonderful. Thank you so much. I can take my girlfriend. I’m really excited." Afterwards, Mills clarified her decision to take part in the competitio n. In a post on her Twitter.com page, she writes, "Whitney Houston sold o ut, called Heart FM for a laugh to try and win tickets for my ex’s 82 yea r old mega fan Mum and won, she is so happy."

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MARIAH CAREY, HALLE BERRY, AVRIL LAVIGNE and FAITH HILL are fighting it o ut for the top honour of best celebrity fragrance at America’s annual FiF i Awards.
The Hero hitmaker’s Ultra Pink scent is up against Lavigne’s Black Star perfume, Hill’s Parfums spray and Halle by Halle Berry in the Woman’s Po pular Appeal category at the event, considered the Oscars of the fragranc e industry.
The winner will be announced at a gala held by The Fragrance Foundation in New York on 10 June (10).
Usher’s self-titled scent has already been named male celebrity fragran ce of the year.

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British singer-turned-reality-TV-star KERRY KATONA has been left devastat ed after her home was raided by thieves, who stole keepsakes from her tim e in now-defunct band ATOMIC KITTEN.
The 29 year old moved out of her marital home in Cheshire, England earl ier this year (10) after splitting from husband Mark Croft, but kept many of her personal belongings in the property.
And Katona is distraught after the house was targeted by burglars, who stole all the televisions and her daughter Molly’s piano.
They also destroyed precious memorabilia from her time with Atomic Kitt en and keepsakes from her 2004 stint in the Australian jungle for U.K. r eality TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Katona’s mother Sue tells Britain’s Daily Star, "Kerry is absolutely he artbroken. She can’t believe someone could do this to her. It’s just disg usting.
"Kerry was in floods of tears when she found out. She was at my house o n the phone to her friend and I just heard her start bawling.
"Now the children haven’t got a television to watch, and all her memora bilia from when she was in Atomic Kitten and the jungle has been smashed up. She had a lot of things in frames that she really treasured and they were just smashed all over the place.
"The thing that upset her most was the piano. Molly loves sitting there playing on it and writing songs."

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