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Rapper TOO $HORT has spoken out to clear up speculation surrounding his a rrest last week (end18Jul10) - insisting accusations he was escorting und erage girls backstage before his alleged fight are "untrue and exaggerate d".
The hip-hop star, real name Todd Shaw, was briefly jailed in Ada County on Thursday (15Jul10) following his performance at the Knitting Factory club in Idaho.
Three security staff claim they were punched and kicked by Shaw and his associate, Michael T. Walton, after the bouncers allegedly refused to al low the rapper to take underage girls backstage.
Shaw and Walton were both charged with misdemeanour battery.
But the rapper has lashed out at rumours he was inappropriately involve d with young girls - insisting the incident was "taken out of context".
In a statement he says, "The accusations against me regarding my arrest in Idaho on July 15th, were untrue and exaggerated. Normally I would ign ore rumours, but because of the nature of the story that’s being spread I had to say something.
"Due to my work with young people in Oakland I am extremely outraged at the way I am being portrayed. The incident that night was completely tak en out of context and I have not and never will take advantage of any wom an that is under age. Never that! "These days people believe everything that they see on TV and these blo gs. I have been dedicated to youth organisations and wish to continue to support them and I do not want my community and especially young people t hat look up to me to think that this is the type of thing that I would do .."

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Grammy-winning Latin singer ANA BARBARA is facing a police investigation over an alleged hit-and-run incident in Cancun, Mexico which killed a 79- year-old woman.
The victim died after she was struck by a vehicle on Sunday (18Jul10) a nd Barbara’s bodyguard, Jose Gomez, was initially arrested following the incident.
He was released after posting bail on Monday (19Jul10).
Now the victim’s family are accusing Barbara of driving the vehicle whe n it hit the woman.
The star has denied she was behind the wheel, claiming she heard a nois e then saw the woman lying on the ground, reports the Associated Press. (

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Another tragedy has hit rock group BIG STAR - original bassist ANDY HUMME L has died just four months after his former bandmate ALEX CHILTON passed away.
Hummel lost his two-year battle with cancer on Monday (19Jul10), aged 5 9, according to a representative for the band’s label, Rhino Records.
Spokesperson Jason Elzy tells MTV News, "Sadly, I can confirm this is t rue. Andy has passed away." The news follows Chilton’s death in March (10).
Big Star’s current bassist Ken Stringfellow has taken to his Twitter.co m page to pay tribute to the musician, writing, "Another sad loss for Big Star fans as Andy Hummel passes away after (a) long illness." Hummel’s funeral will reportedly be held near his home in Texas on Wedn esday (21Jul10).

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KIM KARDASHIAN is "flattered" after teen sensation DEMI LOVATO named the socialite as her style icon.
The 17-year-old Disney actress/singer has started to develop curves as she grows up and she’s been looking to the voluptuous reality TV star for inspiration on how to dress for her shape.
Earlier this month (Jul10) Lovato said, "I just love the way that she d resses. She wears clothes that fit her body… I’m starting to have curve s and I’m embracing it and kind of looking to her style to help me out wi th that." And Kardashian is pleased the young star is embracing her figure.
In a post on her official blog, Kardashian writes, "I love that Demi is embracing her curves and I=E2=80=99m so flattered that she is looking to me for style inspiration. Demi is one of the few young stars who manages to show off her own unique style and sense of self while still keeping h er looks age-appropriate.
"I know for me it was a long journey to get to where I am today, and if I can help just one girl feel happy and confident in her own skin by sho wing that girls should not aspire to be, nor should they feel pressured t o be skinny, then I=E2=80=99ve made a little bit of a difference.=E2=80=9D (KD/WNWC/MJ) ————————————————————————-

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Actress SOPHIE MONK has moved on following a messy split from her plastic surgeon ex-boyfriend - she’s reportedly dating ENTOURAGE actor KEVIN CON NOLLY.
The Date Movie star recently claimed she had caught her former partner, John Diaz, in bed with another woman earlier this year (10).
But Monk is back on the dating scene and stepping out with Connolly - w ho she met while making a cameo appearance on Entourage in 2007, reports Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
The pair was spotted enjoying dinner at SUR restaurant in Los Angeles b efore reportedly leaving together in Connolly’s car.

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JAMES FRANCO is set to take on an educational new role - he has signed up to teach classes at Yale University.
The Spider-Man star will begin studying at the prestigious Connecticut- based college in September (10) to obtain his doctorate in English and fi lm studies.
And Franco will have to focus on more than just his own course - he has agreed to teach his own "very special class" at the facility next Januar y (11).
Speaking on Good Morning America he says, "I am going to teach at Yale.
It’s in the works. I have a very special class I will be teaching next J anuary." Franco, who has previously studied filmmaking at New York University an d earned a master of fine arts diploma from Columbia, didn’t reveal what subject he will be teaching.

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THE BEACH BOYS helped actor JOHN STAMOS get through his recent extortion trial - he imagined playing with his occasional bandmates whenever tensio ns rose in the court room.
Allison Coss and Scott Sippola were arrested in December (09) after the y threatened to release incriminating snaps of the actor unless he handed over $680,000 (=C2=A3453,000).
Last week (15Jul10), Coss, 24, and Sippola, 31, were found guilty of co nspiracy and using emails to threaten a person’s reputation.
The former E.R. star is delighted with the verdict, but admits the tria l was gruelling.
And he reveals he got through the trial’s darkest moments with the help of the Beach Boys - a band he frequently drums with at special shows and charity events.
He tells Eonline.com, "You know when you’re at the dentist and they tel l you to think of happy thoughts? Or, if you’re in a situation that is no t so happy? Well, my happy thoughts last week were Beach Boys. I was thin king of playing music. There is nothing more cathartic for me and nothing makes me more happy than to get behind the drums and play.
So when I got home (from the trial), I immediately cleared my schedule (for a Beach Boys tour)." Stamos will hit the road with the Good Vibrations hitmakers later this week (22Jul10) for a string of dates that mark the 25th year since he sta rted playing with the band.

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LINDSAY LOHAN has been left without legal representation again - top lawy er ROBERT SHAPIRO has quit her case just hours before the actress is due to start her stint behind bars.
O.J. Simpson’s former attorney publicly announced he had agreed to take over as the star’s representative after her legal Shawn Holley Chapman q uit earlier this month (Jul10).
Chapman walked away from the Mean Girls star on the day she was sentenc ed to 90 days in jail for violating probation on a 2007 DUI arrest.
Shapiro, who lost his son to a drug overdose, insisted Lohan check into his own sober living facility before starting her prison time on Tuesday (20Jul10).
But according to TMZ.com, the lawyer is no longer representing Lohan - even though she adhered to his rules by entering rehab in Los Angeles las t week (begs12Jul10).
No reason for Shapiro stepping down was given as WENN goes to press.
The actress has been ordered to surrender to authorities at Beverly Hil ls Superior Court on Tuesday morning (20Jul10) to begin her jail time. (K

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VANESSA HUDGENS has got quite a wait on her hands if she wants to become Mrs. ZAC EFRON - the movie hunk won’t be getting wed until he turns 30.
The 22-year-old 17 Again star admits he’s still smitten with Hudgens, h is former High School Musical co-star, but has no plans to marry her anyt ime soon.
He says, "I think I’ve always said I’m not gonna get married ’til I’m 3 0. I’m gonna wait. I wouldn’t want that kind of commitment or pressure at this point."

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USHER and his mother still don’t see eye to eye on the R&B star’s marriag e to TAMEKA FOSTER - even though the YEAH! singer is now divorced.
Usher’s mum Jonnetta Patton was fired as his manager amid reports she r efused to accept his partner, who went on to have two kids with the singe r during their brief marriage.
And it appears the pair is still at odds over the relationship.
In a new Behind The Music documentary, which aired in America on Monday night (18Jul10), Usher recalls the falling out, stating, "I was like, ‘T his is my life, this is my choice.’ She (mum) just couldn’t allow me to h ave that moment." And, when she was asked for her version of events, Patton told the film cameras, "That’s something I really don’t wanna talk about."

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PEARL JAM’s publicity team has moved to address fans’ concerns about the future of the band after EDDIE VEDDER suggested he and his bandmates woul d be taking a "long hiatus" at their recent Portuguese show.
The Alive hitmakers were performing at the Optimus Alive festival in Li sbon earlier this month (Jul10) when frontman Vedder left devotees shocke d and confused after announcing the band was going on an indefinite hiatu s - without giving any further explanation.
Reading in Portuguese from a piece of paper, Vedder told the audience, "Thank you for coming to our last show. Not our last ever, but our last i n a long time." But the group’s publicist insists the statement wasn’t meant to suggest Pearl Jam were planning a long break.
Nicole Vandenburg says the comments made by Vedder were probably "lost in translation" and the singer simply wanted to thank fans for attending their "last show in a long time".
Vandenburg adds, "He says that at the end of all tours, because the tou r has ended."

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KELLY OSBOURNE has opened up about her split from fiance LUKE WORRALL fur ther, revealing she has decided to keep the details private because she j ust wants to "move onwards and upwards".
Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter was left reeling after discovering her longtim e partner had allegedly cheated on her, and she ended the relationship la st week (end18Jul10).
She has since taken to Twitter.com to comment about the split, confessi ng she’s "not dealing with it" very well.
Now she has issued a public statement via her weekly column in Britain’ s Closer magazine - and has decided to not "bash" her former beau, althou gh she hints at his reported infidelity, mentioning "male stupidity" and "slutty girls".
She writes, "As everyone has probably heard by now, my fiance Luke and I are no longer together. I=E2=80=99ve sat here for a couple of days thin king about what it is I want to say publicly. At first I wanted to tell e veryone everything and completely bash him because I=E2=80=99m hurt and a ngry. But, at the end of the day, the truth is I did love Luke and that=E2 =80=99s all that matters.
=E2=80=9CI kept up my side of the bargain and kept my side of the stree t clean, and no amount of male stupidity and no number of slutty girls ar e going to change that. Sitting here, bashing him and telling the world h ow horrible I feel doesn=E2=80=99t get either of us anywhere. It=E2=80=99 s just time to be positive about my new life and to move onwards and upwa rds."

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SHERYL CROW has fired back at hateful comments suggesting she adopted her sons in a bid to promote her music career, insisting she only cared abou t becoming a mother.
The All I Wanna Do hitmaker adopted son Wyatt in 2007 and brought home his brother, Levi, last month (Jun10).
But not everyone is applauding her for becoming a mum in her 40s - some online critics have suggested the singer/songwriter has used the adoptio ns to gain publicity and promote her new records.
And now the singer is blasting the suggestions, insisting her latest ad option process was a lengthy and testing one.
She tells Britain’s You magazine, "I don’t usually read what people blo g about me but I’ve read some beautiful things about me and adoption and some hateful things. I think people don’t understand: it’s not like you c an go to some outlet and pick up a baby because you’ve got a record to pr omote.
"An adoptive mother goes through more hoops than those people who thoug htlessly become pregnant.
"I had about 10 adoptions fall through last year, so there was a real s ense of relief when he (Levi) was mine. It’s a long process and it’s frau ght with uncertainty. Another person is carrying a baby and when that bab y finally arrives their feelings may have changed."

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Glam rocker JANI LANE has been sentenced to 120 days in prison after plea ding no contest to driving under the influence (DUI) earlier this year (1 0).
The former Warrant frontman was arrested after crashing into a parked c ar while driving in Woodland Hills, California in May (10).
In court on Monday (19Jul10), he also had his driving license taken awa y for three years and he was ordered to complete a 30-month alcohol educa tion program.
It is the second DUI-related jail stint for Lane - last year (09) the r ocker spent two days in prison and 36 months on probation following anoth er incident. He was also ordered into alcohol education classes and hande d community service.
Lane is expected to surrender to authorities and start his jail time on 27 July (10), reports TMZ.com.

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MARK WAHLBERG had to battle the bulge for reshoots on his new ‘IRISH’ MIC KEY WARD biopic - because he’d already started piling on the pounds for s cenes in which he’d be playing a retired fighter.
The star had packed on 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) because he thought ac tion scenes of toned Ward were complete, and he was caught out when produ cers wanted more ring drama.
The actor’s longtime trainer, Brian Nguyen, who once worked as the fitn ess coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, admits he and Wahlb erg really struggled to get back the shape Wahlberg was in for The Fighte r reshoots.
He tells Men’s Fitness magazine, "He (Wahlberg) was having a whole bott le of wine at night and doughnuts at the craft table (to fatten up).
"They had to do reshoots for some fight scenes and were like, ‘How long do you need, three weeks?’ I was like, ‘Three weeks? We’ve been doing no thing!’" Miraculously, Nguyen managed to get Wahlberg back into tip-top shape in just five weeks.

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DAVID HASSELHOFF is set to become the butt of harsh jokes at the next Com edy Central Roast in Los Angeles - and he’s preparing himself for the ons laught by poking fun at his image in a new ad.
The actor dons his famous Baywatch beachwear for the promo, in which he washes a car like his old Knight Rider TV model.
The hilarious ad also features Hasselhoff squeezing soapy suds all over his semi-naked body and biting into a cheeseburger - just like Paris Hil ton once did for her carwash-themed Carl’s Jr. campaign.
Hasselhoff’s roast, featuring comedienne Lisa Lampanelli as roast mistr ess, will air in America on 15 August (10).

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Executives behind basketball ace-turned-reality TV star SHAQUILLE O’NEAL’ s hit show SHAQ VS. have reached a settlement with a disgruntled author w ho alleged they stole his concept for the programme.
Writer Todd Gallagher filed suit against O’Neal’s talent representative s at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in October (09), claiming they had agreed to turn his book, Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan, int o a TV series in 2008.
In court papers, he alleged he was forced out of the project before Wil liam Morris bosses decided to go ahead with the idea with O’Neal, another of their clients, instead. The show featured O’Neal competing against ot her top sporting athletes at their own game.
Gallagher reached out to the company to discuss a settlement over the n ew TV deal but decided to take legal action and sued for $5 million (=C2=A3 3.3 million) when his demands for a meeting were not met.
The court case has now been dismissed after the two parties reached a d eal. The details of the settlement have not been released to the press bu t is said to be in the six-figures, according to TMZ.com.
Todd’s lawyer confirms to the website, "The matter has been amicably re solved."

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Tragic actor GARY COLEMAN’s ex-wife has asked a Utah judge to formally re cognise her as the dead star’s spouse.
Shannon Price insists she and Coleman continued to live together after their 2008 divorce, and even told people they were still man and wife.
And now Price wants a judge to recognise the common law arrangement, so she has more power to make decisions in the ongoing battle over her ex-h usband’s estate.
Coleman, 42, died after suffering a brain haemorrhage in May (10).
Price is battling Coleman’s ex-girlfriend, Anna Gray, for the late star ’s estate. Both claim documents written by Coleman award them his belongi ngs.

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