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Veteran actor LOUIS GOSSETT JR. has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The An Officer and a Gentleman star has started an intensive treatment = programme to battle the disease.
Gossett reveals the cancer is in its early stages and he’s determined t= o remain optimistic so he can get back to work as soon as possible.
He says, "I count this diagnosis among the many challenges I have faced= in my life and overcome. I expect this to be no different." Gossett made the revelation on Tuesday (09Feb10) in a bid to encourage = other black men to undergo regular examinations to prevent the spread of = the cancer.
He adds, "(I wanted) to set an example for the large number of African-= American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively= low emphasis in our community on preventive examinations and early treat= ment."

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MELANIE BROWN has offered her services as a judge on SIMON COWELL’s U.S. = version of THE X FACTOR - following a recommendation from the British sho= w’s panellist DANNII MINOGUE.
Cowell is quitting American Idol next year (11) to concentrate on bring= ing his hit U.K. talent contest to the U.S., and is currently on the hunt= for judges to make up the rest of the four-person panel.
The music mogul is reportedly trying to persuade Brit judge Cheryl Cole= to follow him Stateside, and former Spice Girl Brown wants to be conside= red for a seat beside the pair.
She tells Britain’s Closer magazine, "I’d love to be a judge on The X F= actor. I think it’s a great show. I was speaking to Dannii Minogue recent= ly and she told me everyone gets on really well. I’ve also met Cheryl Col= e - she’s lovely."

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LILY ALLEN is baffled by rumours she plans to swoop into the Brit Awards = next week (16Feb10) on a model plane.
The Smile hitmaker is slated to sing at next Tuesday’s bash - Britain’s= answer to the Grammys - and was said to be planning to outdo fellow perf= ormer Lady GaGa with an outrageous aviation-themed entrance.
But she insists she has no plans to compete with GaGa’s flamboyant stag= e antics.
In a message on her Twitter blog, Allen writes, "For the record, I sha= n’t be flying in to the Brit Awards, nor have I requested to do so.
"I can not get enough of Lady GaGa. She is the bestest beeyatch (b**ch)= ever (sic)."

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Oscar-winning director STEVEN SODERBERGH has lined up an all-star cast fo= r his next action thriller - MARION COTILLARD, MATT DAMON, JUDE LAW and K= ATE WINSLET have all signed on to star in CONTAGION.
The foursome will share the big screen for the first time in the Traffi= c director’s new movie, about the threat posed by a deadly disease.
Shooting is expected to begin later this year (10), reports Daily Varie= ty.
It will be Damon and Law’s first reunion onscreen since starring togeth= er in 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

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DENZEL WASHINGTON repeatedly turned down his upcoming role in Broadway’s = FENCES for years - because he was convinced he was too young to follow in= the footsteps of JAMES EARL JONES.
In April (10), Washington will thread the boards in New York and repris= e Jones’ 1987 role as patriarch Troy Maxson in the August Wilson revival = - which centres around U.S. race-relations in the 1950s.
But Washington continually declined to star in the Tony-winning play un= til he could realistically follow-up acting legend Jones, who at 79, is 2= 4 years his senior.
Producer Scott Rudin says, "Denzel and I have been having conversations= about this one role for years. This was no sudden thought. A long time a= go he met August Wilson at Wilson’s home in Seattle. It was a rainy after= noon, and they spent time talking. And he loved this particular play. He = always wanted to do it ‘one day.’ "The reason it was ‘one day’ was because Denzel’s role in Fences is tha= t of the patriarch father. The character is 54. Denzel didn’t think he wa= s old enough. So many years have passed and we’ve talked about it so long= .." And it wasn’t until Washington earned a boost of confidence from his ro= le in Broadway’s 2005 revival of Julius Caesar that he finally agreed to = the project.
Rudin adds,"He’s already done Broadway in 2005 as Brutus in a Julius Ca= esar revival, so that he now feels he’s old enough."

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R&B star FAITH EVANS is preparing to relaunch her music career after a fi= ve-year absence with the help of a new reality TV show.
The Love Like This singer - the widow of rap icon Notorious B.I.G. - wi= ll give fans an insight into her life on It’s All About Faith, a series t= hat will document Evans juggling her family life as she prepares for her = chart comeback.
The programme will also feature appearances from her manager husband To= dd Russaw and her four children.
The reality show deal with E1 Television isn’t the only reason Evans is= celebrating - she’s also landed a record deal with E1 Music to release h= er forthcoming album on her own label, Prolific Music Group.
She tells AllHipHop.com, "2010 is shaping up to be an amazing year for = me. To be in a place where I have grown from an entertainer to an entrepr= eneur is truly a blessing. I am excited to share this incredible experien= ce with my fans and the world." Evans’ last disc of new material, The First Lady, was released in 2005.=

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Rap mogul MASTER P is following in the charitable footsteps of PENELOPE C= RUZ, JAVIER BARDEM and SHAKIRA by helping to build a school in earthquake= -ravaged Haiti.
The hip-hop star, real name Percy Miller, has ploughed funds into plans= to construct a new school in the Caribbean country, where building work = is already underway.
And the Louisiana native has vowed not to celebrate his American footba= ll team the New Orleans Saints’ win at the Super Bowl on Sunday (08Feb10)= until his school is ready to open to the public.
He tells AllHipHop.com, "My Super Bowl victory party won=E2=80=99t begi= n until the building of our school in Haiti is complete." Cruz and Bardem are among a host of Hollywood stars who have pledged to= donate $50,000 (=C2=A331,250)-a-year until 2015 to charity to set up new= schools in Haiti, while Shakira’s organisation Barefoot Foundation has t= eamed up with the Architecture for Humanity to build a separate education= institution.

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The manager of the BLACK EYED PEAS has settled a civil lawsuit filed agai= nst him by celebrity blogger PEREZ HILTON following an altercation last y= ear (09).
The legal action stemmed from the Much Music Awards in Canada in June (= 09), when the group’s frontman will.i.am confronted Hilton about his onli= ne attacks on bandmate Fergie and their latest album The E.N.D.
Manager Liborio Molina waded into the argument, allegedly punching the = blogger in the back of the head.
Molina apologised for the incident in November (09) as part of an agree= ment with Hilton to drop the assault charges against him.
Hilton had also filed a civil suit against Molina seeking more than $25= ,000 (=C2=A315,625) in damages - but the pair has now agreed to put their= differences behind them.
Attorneys for the two parties appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on= Tuesday (09Feb10) when they announced an agreement had been reached in t= he case, prompting Judge John S. Wiley to dismiss the suit.
The terms of the settlement will remain confidential.

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Prison-bound rapper LIL WAYNE spent his last night of freedom in a Miami,= Florida studio recording a farewell video for his fans ahead of his sent= encing on Tuesday (09Feb10).
The hip-hop star is expected to be handed a one-year jail term when he = appears before a New York judge to hear his punishment for his 2007 arres= t for gun possession .
The video was filmed in the studio with his Young Money protege Lil’ Tw= ist, who helped the troubled star record a special message for his devote= es.
In the footage, posted online in the early hours of Tuesday, Wayne says= , "For all the people that didn’t know, this is the last time you gonna b= e seeing me live for a long motherf**kin’ time. So watch: This is history= ….
"Tonight’s my last night. …I came to the studio to get some work done= .. To all you artists out there, that should be a message or example. I ca= me to work…
"I=E2=80=99m out this b**ch. To all my fans, my real fans, I really, re= ally, really truly love you. I love you with all of me, for real. I=E2=80= =99ll probably be loving everything else because I love you so much. Than= k you from the bottom (of my heart). Do not forget about me =E2=80=99caus= e I will forever think about you, and I cannot wait for you to see me aga= in. I=E2=80=99m out." The prison sentence will close one chapter in Wayne’s ongoing legal tro= ubles - he’s also due to stand trial in March (10) on drug possession cha= rges following a separate arrest in Yuma, Arizona in January 2008. (MT/WN=

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Scottish actor KEVIN MCKIDD has shameful memories of his school days - he= was once reduced to tears after teachers unmasked him as a thief in fron= t of his classmates.
The Grey’s Anatomy star was caught stealing a packet of cookies, and as= a punishment McKidd was humiliated for his shameful act.
He says, "I got caught shoplifting when I was little. I got caught stea= ling a pack of mini cookies and was dragged up in front of the whole scho= ol. They called a special assembly and it was announced that ‘there was a= thief in our midst’. I cried all the way to the stage."

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EMMA ROBERTS has a special souvenir from her first PRINCE concert - she k= eeps the singer’s guitar pick as a good luck charm.
The actress, 18, saw her R&B idol performing live on U.S. TV’s The Toni= ght Show with Jay Leno in 2008 and managed to beat the crowd to grab a pi= ck the superstar had thrown into the audience.
And now the guitar accessory takes pride of place in Roberts’ home.
She explains, "I was in New York once and I saw him walking through a h= otel at like two in the morning and that was pretty exciting. This was th= e first time I saw him perform and I actually have his guitar pick that h= e performed with because he kind of threw it in that Prince manner that y= ou would throw a guitar pick when you’re done playing, and it landed on t= he floor and no one saw it, so I went and I picked it up. Now I have it a= s a good luck charm."

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Former Playboy Playmate KENDRA WILKINSON has hit out at the paparazzi for= causing her to break down in tears at the Super Bowl on Sunday (07Feb10)= after they refused to leave her and her newborn baby alone.
The busty blonde was in the stands at the big game in Miami, Florida ch= eering on her husband, American footballer Hank Baskett, and his team, th= e Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts lost out on the championship title to the New Orleans Saints = and Wilkinson was snapped crying as she left the sports arena.
But the model and reality TV star insists her tears had nothing to do w= ith the Colts’ loss - instead blaming it on the snappers who harassed her= and continued to take photos of her two-month-old son Hank Jr.
In a post on her Twitter.com page, Wilkinson writes, "I wasn’t cryin cu= z of the d**n game it’s cuz the paparazzi have no soul..they wouldn’t lea= ve me n family alone!!!! "People like to twist this stuff. we asked them to stop cuz of the baby= n they were way too close n they didn’t care at allllllll (sic)." And Wilkinson has called on U.S. lawmakers to introduce legislation to = protect mothers and their babies.
She adds, "Not sayin i’m tryin to be private but there should be some l= aw on how close they get to u n your child (sic)."

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STEPHEN FRY has prompted rumours he’ll reunite with one-time comedy sidek= ick HUGH LAURIE in an upcoming episode of his hit U.S. TV show HOUSE - af= ter visiting his pal on the set.
After meeting at England’s Cambridge University, the pair appeared in a= string of British TV shows for more than a decade - before Laurie moved = to the U.S. to pursue a movie and TV career Stateside.
Fry admitted last year (09) he was house hunting in Los Angeles - where= House is filmed - and would love to appear in the drama series.
And now House director Greg Yaitanes has fuelled rumours Fry is shootin= g a cameo on the show, by revealing the star had visited the set.
Writing on Twitter.com, Yaitanes plugs Fry’s own blog, revealing, "No b= etter time then when he’s sitting on your set (visiting) to follow @steph= enfry."

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The celebrity snapper who reportedly inspired the character Paparazzo in = FEDERICO FELLINI’s movie masterpiece LA DOLCE VITA has died.
Felice Quinto, who was dubbed the ‘king of the paparazzi’ was 80 when h= e died in Maryland last month (Jan10). His death was confirmed by his wif= e Geraldine on Monday (08Feb10).
He was the first photographer to use aggressive tactics to snap stars a= nd would ride around Rome, Italy on a motorcycle, taking photographs that= appeared in gossip publications all over the world.
Fellini reportedly asked Quinto to play a photographer in La Dolce Vita= , but the snapper declined the offer because he was making more money tak= ing pictures. He briefly appeared in the film as a bystander.
He later became an Associated Press photographer and famously covered J= ohn F. Kennedy=E2=80=99s funeral for the agency.
But he never left celebrity photography for long - Quinto became a regu= lar fixture at New York’s Studio 54 nightclub in the 1970s, and Elizabeth= Taylor hired him as her personal photographer.
He retired in 1993.

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THE HURT LOCKER star JEREMY RENNER was left red-faced on U.S. TV on Tuesd= ay (09Feb10) after he was coaxed to show off his amateur music skills dur= ing an impromptu performance.
The Oscar-nominated actor appeared on talkshow The View with guest co-h= ost Brooke Shields when he was asked to showcase his vocal talents - with= out a chance to warm up.
Renner proved to be a good sport, but warned viewers before playing his= tune: "I’m not a piano player. This is a song I wrote a while back. It’s= called My World. I’ll play a little." The actor missed a few notes but held the hosts responsible for springi= ng the task on him. Laughing off his shaky performance, he turned to the = hosts, and said: "I really hate you."

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The death of NANCY KERRIGAN’s father has been ruled a homicide by Massach= usetts officials - two weeks after the athlete’s brother was arrested for= allegedly assaulting the 70 year old moments before he died.
Mark Kerrigan was taken into custody after his dad Daniel Kerrigan was = found unconscious in the kitchen of the family’s home in Stoneham, Massac= husetts on 24 January (10).
He pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerou= s weapon on an elderly person and causing serious bodily injury.
According to the Middlesex Chief Medical Examiner, the patriarch died f= rom cardiac dysrhythmia after suffering a neck injury during a physical a= ltercation at his home.
Reports also indicate Daniel Kerrigan suffered a cartilage fracture to = the larynx area - exacerbated by heart disease.
Daniel Kerrigan was laid to rest on 28 January (10) at a funeral servic= e attended by the beloved former Olympic figure skater-turned-reality TV = star and her family.
The investigation continues.

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BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN has been ask= ed to oversee the next SUPERMAN movie, according to reports.
Nolan’s two superhero outings have been massive box office hits, breath= ing new life into the franchise and attracting the attention of Warner Br= os studio chiefs, who were disappointed with 2006 Man of Steel film Super= man Returns.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Bryan Singer will stay on as director,= but Nolan has been asked to serve as "godfather" on the new sequel and o= versee production.
An insider tells the site, "We know what we don’t want to do. But we do= n’t know what we want to do. We learned a lot from the last movie, and we= want to get it right this time.
"Warner Bros doesn’t have a handle yet on it… they need to hear a gre= at story that makes sense." Superman star Brandon Routh is expected to reprise his role in the sequ= el - which currently has no release date.

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MELANIE BROWN is eager to start a family with her husband STEPHEN BELAFON= TE, and has vowed to welcome a third child by 2011.
The former Spice Girl already has two daughters from previous relations= hips; 10-year-old Phoenix Chi from her first marriage to dancer Jimmy Gul= zar, and two-year-old Angel Iris from a brief romance with Eddie Murphy.
And she’s desperate to conceive with her second husband Belafonte - ins= isting her previous pregnancies have been so easy she’d like to add two m= ore kids to her brood.
She tells Britain’s Closer magazine, "If I don’t have another baby this= year, I’d definitely like on the next. I’d like two more.
"I’ve never suffered from morning sickness, so I’ve really enjoyed my p= regnancies. Stephen gets on so well with my girls - I know he’ll make a b= rilliant dad."

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