Pop Stand

Smile to start the weekend: The amazing Ninja Cat returns

Remember the Ninja Cat, the stealthy feline who was never recorded moving and yet got closer and closer every time we looked?

The Ninja Cat is the opposite of Sir Lancelot in this clip from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," who runs for quite a while (accompanied by dramatic drum beats) without ever getting any closer:

Well, the Ninja Cat has now returned, and this time we get to see him make his sneaky, silent progress toward the alluring object. His face shows his curiosity, until he sees the human hand attached to the feather, at which point his expression becomes bored, as in: "I knew it was you all along!" But the sound draws him back, until he sees the hand ... and that's it for Ninja Cat.

Have a great weekend! -- Anne Neville

Morning Links: Jon Gosselin's attorney says Kate Major is trying to cash in on their 'few days' together

Jon Gosselin's attorney says he isn't worried about a fraud and breach-of-contract lawsuit being threatened by Kate Major, who quit her job as a tabloid reporter in July after she says he promised her a job as his personal assistant. Gosselin’s attorney, Mark Heller, told RadarOnline that he thinks the case is a joke. “Kate knows Jon Gosselin is like Obama’s stimulus package,” Heller quipped. “Every time she needs money, she cashes in on the few days she knew Jon Gosselin." The two are shown together at left in July. Meanwhile, Star magazine says Jon is making a wish list that includes some young starlets. "Jon said he really wants to hook up with Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Cavallari and Whitney Port," an insider tells Star, which published what it calls Gosselin's "lust list." "He’s like a kid in a candy store and going absolutely wild," the friend says. "He definitely isn't on the prowl for another wife."

• • •

Oprah Winfrey will tell her audience today that she plans to end "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2011 to concentrate on her new network, which she is launching in a partnership with Discovery Communications. "The sun will set on the Oprah Show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011," Harpo Productions president Tim Bennett said Thursday. Winfrey, whose program reaches about 7 million viewers a day, will concentrate on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, but according to The New York Times, she told her show's staff that she will not transfer the show to her cable channel. An insider says Winfrey put off quitting the show because she wants "The Dr. Oz Show" to take over her time slot. has been on the air since her Chicago-based show was syndicated in 1986.

• • •

Steven Tyler's Aerosmith bandmates are expressing concerns about his well-being in the wake of reports in the Boston Herald and online that he may have returned to his hard-partying ways. "I think that he needs help and that attention needs to be put to his health," drummer Joey Kramer told People, adding that he is concerned that the singer is "isolating himself." Tyler battled drug addiction in the 1970s and 1980s and checked into a rehab center last year to detox from painkillers. Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford told People, "His behavior is spinning out of control." The Herald reports that Tyler now spends nearly all of his time with girlfriend Erin Brady, 30ish, and Dole Food Co. heir Justin Murdock, 35. Tyler reportedly partied for two days straight in Sturgis, S.D., last summer, before Tyler fell off the stage and injured his head, arm and shoulder. The injury cut short the band's summer tour.

• • •

Los Angeles Police are fed up with complaints from neighbors about noisy, raucous parties held by Paris Hilton and boyfriend Doug Reinhardt and now say there will be "tickets or arrests" the next time they are called there. One neighbor, who calls Hilton "a monster," says people who live nearby have taken their complaints to their city councilman, who has spoken with the city attorney's office about the noise, crowds ans fighting.

• • •

Richard Heene brought his boys and wife to Manhattan on Thursday to tour the Statue of Liberty and reportedly have some talks with somebody over some show-biz opportunities. The question being asked all over the country -- why aren't Balloon Boy and his brothers in school?

• • •

Eddie Cibrian is suing "Life & Style weekly" for more than $1 million, for reporting that he is cheating on new girlfriend LeAnn Rimes with aspiring actress Scheana Jancan. In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Cibrian claims an article headlined "Eddie is Cheating on LeAnn Already" and other stories "falsely portray Eddie as being unfaithful to Ms. Rimes, as currently being in a romantic relationship with Ms. Jancan, and as having abandoned his children."

• • •

James Van Der Beek has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly six years, actress Heather Ann McComb, five months after the pair separated. In the papers, he cited irreconcilable differences. Van Der Beek, 32, and McComb were engaged in early 2003. They exchanged vows over the Fourth of July weekend that year in an outdoor ceremony in Malibu. The guests included Van Der Beek's "Dawson's Creek" costars Michelle Williams, Busy Phillips and Soleil Moon Frye.

• • •

James Caan has filed for divorce from his fourth wife, Linda, for the second time. The two married in 1995 and have two children, James Arthur Caan, 14, and Jacob Nicholas Caan, 11. Caan filed for divorce in 2005, but the two reconciled a month later. In is filing in L.A. County Superior Court, Caan citied irreconcilable differences. His rep said in a statement: "We have two beautiful kids together and will remain great friends. Everything will be fine."

-- Anne Neville
 

Morning Links: Jon Gosselin to be sued by Kate Major; claims breach of contract

It was a short-lived romance, but apparently Jon Gosselin made promises.

Gosselin is about to be sued by Kate Major, the former tabloid reporter who gave up her career to be with him. RadarOnline says that Major claims that in June, she and Gosselin signed a contract where she agreed to become his personal assistant, at the same salary she was earning as a tabloid reporter.

Major has a hand-written contract that the two signed while holed-up in a hotel room one weekend.RadarOnline says that in signing the contract, Major "agreed to work for Jon as his personal assistant, earning a percentage from his accounts and pledging not to talk to the media about their relationship."

Major's lawyer, Ben Pietra, confirmed he is investigating Major's options. "We are keeping our legal options open, but if a breach of contract has occurred, we will be moving forward with a lawsuit.”

Major has called her relationship with Gosselin a big mistake, and says that she now "despises" him.

• • •

Nicole Richie checked herself into Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles yesterday because she is ailing from pneumonia. After complaining about feeling rundown for days, Richie finally decided to have herself checked out. Her rep, who was busy denying Richie had swine flu earlier this week, says that Richie is "doing well." 

• • •

The FBI says that Erin Andrews of ESPN was filmed more than one time by her alleged stalker Michael David Barrett. Barrett recorded Andrews in a Nashville hotel room and posted it to the internet. The Feds says now that they have evidence that Barrett also recorded Andrews in hotel rooms in Milwaukee and Columbus, OH. 

• • •

Janet Jackson, while promoting a new cook book on ABC, says that she thinks her brother Michael was in denial about his drug addiction. She says the family tried to intervene several times, but that he refused their help. "You can't make 'em drink the water. ... I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer -- but it's, it's something that you can't do for them. Something they have to do for themselves," she said. 

• • •

After being "invited" to Thanksgiving dinner by Sarah Palin on "Oprah," Levi Johnston has declined the invitation. Johnston -- who is the former boyfriend of Palin's daughter Bristol -- told Playgirl, that it was "a nice gesture, but she didn't mean it." He also doesn't care what she thinks of his photo spread with the magazine, which she called "porn" on the show. "You know what, I don't care if she sees them … Who cares about what she says or does? I don't care." But for those who do, People says that he did not bare all, after all.

• • •

Taylor Swift is part of a copyright infringement lawsuit against a small Idaho sports bar accused of playing music in their establishment without paying royalties. An agent from BMI, who is the enforcer of music royalties, was sent to the bar and documented the play list from the evening, which included Swift. Swift and the others are suing for unspecified damages.

• • •

A photographer is suing Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe in small claims court for an altercation earlier this summer. The photographer, Ed Frommer, is suing Rowe for $7,500, saying that she lied to police, claiming that he scratched her face, pulled her arm and struck her in the back. Frommer claims to have video tape that refutes Rowes accusations. Frommer approached Rowe after Jackson's death and asked her about the children. Rowe reportedly asked Frommer, "Are you ready to have your butt kicked?"

-- Dave Valenzuela

Morning Links: Shauna Sand urges Carrie Prejean to let porn company peddle her sex tape

Carrie Prejan has gotten a nice letter from someone who knows exactly how she feels about having porn producer Vivid Entertainment trying to buy and distribute her private sex tape. Shauna Sand, left, a former Playboy model and Lorenzo Lamas' ex, fired off the letter encouraging Prejean to do what she did-- "take control of the situation," by accepting the money. In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Sand says she could have wasted "thousands of dollars" trying to fight the release of her sex tape -- but instead worked out a deal with Vivid. She urges Prejean to do the same: "Why don’t you consider taking control yourself and handle this situation on your own terms so that you are in the driver’s seat. It all starts with a telephone call to Steven [Hirsch at Vivid] to find out what your options are. I’d be happy to talk to you one-on-one about how I did it."

• • •

Another day, another story about Lindsay Lohan trying to leverage freebies. First she pitched a fit when the Crown Bar in Los Angeles tried to get her to pay for the expensive champagne she was guzzling, then pointed across the room at Twilight's Kellan Lutz and suggested he pay for the bubbly. Now people are talking about her repeated efforts to score thousands of dollars worth of clothing and accessories during an appearance at Kitson in West Hollywood for the launch of Jermaine Dupri’s new watch line “NuPop." In addition to her appearance fee, LiLo was given $500 in merchandise credit, which she bargained up to $1,000. Then she rampaged through the store, insisting she wanted item after item, eventually valued at $15,000. She said organizers  “would take care of it because I’m the only celebrity here.” When designer Pascal Mouawad said she could cart off $2,000 worth of stuff, LiLo, described as "absolutely distraught," offered to "come in the next day and carry bags out so the paps could take shots." No dice, so she grabbed the bags of free stuff and stormed out.

• • •

Since  she showed up at a movie premiere on Oct. 11 wearing what appeared to be a knuckle-sized sapphire-and-diamond ring, it's been rumored that Penelope Cruz is engaged to boyfriend Javier Bardem. But even David Letterman's persistent questioning Tuesday night failed to get her to spill. First Letterman simply asked if she and Bardem are engaged, and she replied, "I don't feel comfortable talking about my private life in public." When he persisted, she said,  "I've been here a few times with you, you know I'm tough. One thing I don't do, I don't lie about my personal life. It's sacred to me. It's my life. But I don't give details about it because I am allergic to that." Letterman put a funny spin on it, saying, "So you know, but you don't want to tell me?" Cruz giggled as she replied,"I know, but I choose not to share some things!"

• • •

Ryan O'Neal says he agrees with Farrah Fawcett's decision to leave most of her $6 million estate to their son, Redmond, who is currently in an inpatient rehab facility. "Farrah's and my relationship was based on a deep love and respect for one another and for our son Redmond," O'Neal said in a statement. "After discussing how her financial affairs would be handled in the event of her passing we agreed that our son Redmond would be the primary beneficiary of her estate. These were Farrah's wishes and I am perfectly happy with them."

• • •

Farrah's will also left nothing to her longtime best friend, Alana Stewart, who made the heart-wrenching documentary about her final days. It did leave $500,000 to a nephew, the same amount to her father, and $100,000 to Greg Lott, her college boyfriend who said the pair rekindled their romance 11 years ago and were secret lovers until a few months before she died. Lott also says O'Neal kept him from Farrah in the final two months of her life. A copy of her will,obtained by RadarOnline, showed that those around her did not allow Farrah her final wish, which was to die at home.

• • •

Pro dancer Julianne Hough is taking another season off from "Dancing with the Stars," told Ryan Seacrest at the Los Angeles premiere of "New Moon." "No, I’m not [coming back] next season," Hough, 21, said. And what about the year after?  "We’re going go cross that bridge when we come to it," she said. Hough, who attended last week's Country Music Association Awards ceremony with recent ex-boyfriend Chuck Wicks, had a mysterious response to Seacrest's question of whether she is now single. Her only response was, “Um, technically.” But for now, she's rooting for her brother, Derek Hough, who’s dancing with model Joanna Krupa on this season's show, In fact, she said, "I’m going to do some rallying for my brother right now."

• • •

As if model-turned-actress-turned-jewelry designer Molly Sims weren't busy enough, sources have told People that she and actor Aaron Eckhart are a couple. After the two were spotted sharing in intimate dinner in Baton Rouge, sources said that the two have been quietly dating for a few weeks.

-- Anne Neville

Morning Links: Sting takes on Simon Cowell and 'appalling' reality shows

Don't expect to see Sting as a mentor on "American Idol" any time soon. Sting has a bone to pick with Simon Cowell and his shows "The X-Factor" and "American Idol."

The former Police frontman calls the shows "appalling," and says that they promote "bland, soulless music."

In an interview with The Evening Standard of London, Sting says that these variety of shows have set music back, and that contestants have little hope of making it.

"I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly," Sting said. "They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical."

Sting further said that the show promotes stereotypes and conformity, forcing kids to become clones of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston or boy bands, while encouraging little uniqueness. From managing a contestant's sound to the way they dress, he calls it is all appalling.

"The real shop floor for musical talent is pubs and clubs, that is where the original work is. But they are being closed down on a daily basis. It is impossible to put an act on in a pub. It has become too expensive through excessive regulations. The music industry has been hugely important to England, bringing in millions. If anyone thinks the X Factor is going to do that, they are wrong."

• • •

Chris Brown may have apologized for his assault on former girlfriend Rihanna, and even come to terms with being sentenced to community labor, but one thing he isn't ready for yet is dating. Brown tells MTV News that he's "just chillin' " right now when it comes to the ladies. "My whole dating thing, I've been kinda chillin'...  [G]irls are gonna be around. I love women. But I would say I've just been chillin'. I haven't really been trying to get into a relationship or trying to date anybody. I've just kinda been working on me. Like I said, just really getting me straight."

• • •

In an unusual move, a bailiff working a Las Vegas court prevented reporters and photographers from leaving the courtroom where Dr. Conrad Murray was appearing, after proceedings were done. After the judge left the stand and Murray and his team left the court, an armed, uniformed marshal refused requests by the journalists covering the hearing to leave. The court marshal said he was following orders, and a spokesman for the Clarks County courts system speculated they were detained to keep a level of decorum and safety. A lawyer for the AP says that a government cannot prevent a journalist from pursuing a story. "Whoever ordered this improper and possibly unlawful detention has some explaining to do," AP associate general counsel Dave Tomlin said.

• • •

Susan Boyle, who became a household name after her appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," gave an interview to The Mirror in the UK where she revealed that she was beaten daily by teachers and bullied by classmates. "You're looking at someone who would get the belt every day. 'Will you shut up, Susan!' - whack!" Boyle said. She said she was a little slow in picking things up in school, and that it was one of the worst times of her life. "There's nothing worse than another person having power over you by bullying you and you not knowing how to get rid of that thing."

• • •

Brooke Shields spoke of her post partum depression at a ceremony in Manhattan where she received an award from the Hope for Depression Research Foundation. Shields recounted how, after a miscarriage and 7 failed in vitro fertilization attempts, she was unable to cope when she finally delivered a healthy child in 2003. "I finally had a healthy beautiful baby girl and I couldn't look at her. I couldn't hold her and I couldn't sing to her and I couldn't smile at her ... All I wanted to do was disappear and die," Shields said. Shields sought medical treatment for her post partum depression and credits it with saving her life. 

• • •

The Los Angeles city council is trying to get $3.2 million in expenses back from AEG and the Jackson family for providing security for Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staple Center, as well as providing security detail to the Jackson family in the days following the pop singer's death. A Los Angeles city council member told an L.A. television station that AEG "turned a profit" with the memorial service, and that "taxpayers are getting ripped off." The original estimate of costs were roughly $1.4 million, but the costs swelled.

-- Dave Valenzuela

Morning Links: Seven more sex tapes and 30 nude photos of Carrie Prejean said to exist

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean made seven more sex tapes and 30 more nude photos that have surfaced, according to RadarOnline. Prejean has said she made just a single sex tape and sent it to one boyfriend. Vivid Entertainment, the world's largest porn film company, has a copy of the tape and would love to release it, says TMZ, but needs Prejean's approval to do so. "Good luck with that," TMZ says. In an interview with Christianity Today, Prejean answered the interviewer's question about the sex tape she made, rather than falling back on the scolding she gave a dumbfounded Larry King when he asked the same question. She said, "Everything that was discussed in mediation was confidential. There is a video out there of me. I was really young and immature. It was the worst mistake of my life. It was a really stupid, stupid decision that I made. But I take full responsibility for it. ... I think we all make mistakes and we all do things when we're young that sometimes backfire later in life. I give advice to younger girls in my book because I've learned a lot since I was 16 or 17 years old." The man she sent the video to says she was 20 when she made it, and he has been pressured to say she was several years younger.

• • •

In the same interview, Prejean says she is sure that her breast implants are OK with God. She says, "I don't think there's anything wrong with getting breast implants as a Christian. I think it's a personal decision. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants."

• • •

Add Rosie O'Donnell and Kelli Carpenter to the list of celebrity couples who secretly split up two years ago. Rosie, who has recently confessed that the two have had problems, told a pet psychic on her Sirius Satellite radio show Friday that she got her long-haired chihuahua, Misty, "when Kelli moved out two years ago." She told pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick that she got Misty "because I wanted another child or something to love. And I got the dog." O'Donnell, who has four children with Carpenter, says the kids argue over who gets to take care of the dog.

• • •

Lindsay Lohan will probably take her business elsewhere besides the Crown Bar in Los Angeles, which insisted that the hard-partying starlet pay for the expensive champagne she and a friend grabbed off the shelves. An onlooker told People.comthat rehab veteran Lohan, 23, cause a scene she when asked to pay for her drinks. "Lindsay stormed into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of really expensive champagne. She finished both bottles with a friend. When the bartender gave her a bill, she had a meltdown," says the source. "She was yelling at him and screaming profanities at everyone. The bar insisted she pay, so she had to call a friend with her credit-card information." The onlooker said that when she left the club at 2:30 a.m., "She was crying and wanted to go home. She kept saying 'I don't pay for drinks! This is ridiculous! I'm freaking out!' " Still unsolved is the mysterious disappearanceof some $400,000 worth of jewelry last seen on LiLo during an Elle photoshoot, or how Lindsay ended up with a stranger's one-of-a-kind mink coat that she was forced to return after the owner saw a photo of her wearing it back in 2007.

• • •

Two couples that have been in the spotlight lately appeared in public over the weekend, and the body language spoke volumes. Fergie and Josh Duhamel have been rocked by a stripper's allegation that she had a one-night-stad with the actor while he was filming in Atlanta, but the newlyweds were conspicuously cuddly during a weekend date. On the other hand, Brad and Angelina, who have been the subject of unending split rumors, looked positively stand-offishas they attended the 30th anniversary of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

• • •

Shayne Lamas, star of the reality show "Leave it to Lamas," was arrested on suspicion of DUI just after 1 a.m. Saturday in Venice, Calif., E! News is reporting. Lamas said in a statement that she went through th checkpoint "after consuming one drink," because she had "complete confidence of passing." But, oops! "However, the breathalyzer indicated that I was over the legal limit of blood alcohol content and was arrested," she said. "I take full responsibility for my lack of judgment. I have always strived to be a role model for my friends, family and fans and have never nor will ever condone drinking and driving. I apologize for all those I have disappointed, including myself." Lamas 24, is due in court Dec. 9 to face the misdemeanor charge. The daughter of  Lorenzo Lamas and Michele Cathy Smith was briefly engaged to Matt Grant after being chosen during the 12th season of ABC's "The Bachelor."

• • •

Police in Stuttgart searched a house possibly connected to Edis Kayalar, the German male modelwho attempted to extort money from Cindy Crawford after getting his hands on some suggestive photos of Crawford's 7-year-old daughter. Police refused to confirm whether the items they removed from the house were owned by Kayalar. The photo, reportedly taken by a nanny without the knowledge of Crawford or her husband, Rande Gerber, shows the girl wearing abbreviated clothing and bound to a chair and gagged during a game of cops and robbers.

• • •

Is an Oscar still an Oscar if you don't get it on camera? Yes, say Lauren Bacall, B-movie maven Roger Corman and Godfather cinematographer Gordon Willis, who all collected statuettes Saturday night at a black-tie banquet. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awardsare generally given in March. Producer John Calley, who made, among other films, "The DaVinci Code" and "Catch-22," received the Irving J. Thalberg Memorial Award.

-- Anne Neville 

Smile to start the weekend: Raymond Crowe's shadow art and a tune in a food court

While Louis Armstrong sings "What a Wonderful World," Raymond Crowe, who bills himself as "Australia's only Unusualist," makes an incredible array of creatures and images using just his hands and a light.

And here's the opposite of a one-man show -- a song called "I Love Lunch!" performed in a food court in New York amid bemused diners, with a cameo by Ann Curry. It's done by Improv Everywhere:

Have a great weekend!

-- Anne Neville

Morning Links: Prejean continues 'inappropriate' meltdown as sex tape man says she asked him to lie

De-sashed beauty queen Carrie Prejean pulled out of a talk she was supposed to give Thursday afternoon at the Republican Capitol Hill Club in Washington D.C. An insider at the Capitol Hill Club told TMZ Carrie canceled five minutes before she was supposed to speak, possibly because of her erratic behavior on Larry King's show the night before. On King's show, she threatened to walk out after of the interview after King asked what she repeatedly called an "inappropriate" question about why she settled her lawsuit against Miss California USA pageant officials. But Prejean couldn't bring herself to leave CNN studio where she was being interviewed, although she did remove the microphone she was wearing and talk with someone off-camera. On the show to promote her book, Prejean eventually put the mic back on.

• • •

Meanwhile, the ex-boyfriend who made Prejean's raunchy solo sex video public says she sent him many such videotapes and she pressured him to say she was just 17 when she made the video. The man, who spoke with TMZ on condition of anonymity, said the pair were involved with each other in 2007, when she was 20,  Also weighing in on the Prejean issue is Keith Lewis, president of the Miss California USA pageant, who issued a statement to TMZ saying, "The public is finally getting a glimpse of the real Carrie Prejean who lives in her own delusional world. The childish behavior, her negative attitude, the sarcasm and condescending tone, the disrespect and continual lying she is demonstrating now is only a fraction of what we endured. ... I sincerely hope she is able to get the psychological help I believe she has shown to clearly need."

• • •

Balloon Boy parents Rchard and Mayumi Heene are expected to plead guilty this morning to charges they knowingly lied to authorities Oct. 15 when they said their 6-year-old son had crawled into an experimental balloon and been carried away when it took off. David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, said Richard turned himself in to the Larimer County Detention Center where he was booked, had his mug shot taken, left and released on $5,000 bond. Today, Mayumi Heene will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities and Richard will plead guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant. Lane said in his statement that Richard will "fall on his sword," and take a felony plea to prevent his wife, a Japanese citizen, from possible deportation. Richard Heene could face a sentence of up to 90 days in jail, and Mayumi up to 60 days. Sentencing will be some time next month.

• • •

Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber were targeted by an acquaintance of a former nanny who threatened to release an inappropriate photo of their 7-year-old daughter unless they paid him off, according to papers filed in federal court. Police say Edis Kayalar called Crawford and Gerber to claim he stole the photo, taken by the nanny without the parents' knowledge, which showed the couple's daughter bound to a chair while wearing "revealing" clothing during a game of cops and robbers. After Kayalar was deported to his native Germany, he called again demanding money.

• • •

Sarah Palin tells Oprah that Levi Johnston, the estranged father of her grandson, would be welcome at the Palin family Thanksgiving table."It's lovely to think that he would ever even consider such a thing," Palin said of Johnston, who has openly criticized her as an uncaring mother and who Palin had attacked for "mean-spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family." But she told Oprah, "He is a part of the family and you want to bring him in the fold and kind of under your wing. ... I think he needs to know that he is loved and he has the most beautiful child and this can all work out for good." Palin also told Oprah that she's tired of the conflict with Johnston. "We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama all the time," she says. "We're not really into the drama. We don't really like that. We're more productive. We have other things to concentrate on."

• • •

Mike Tyson's publicist says he was just defending his wife and 10-month-old child when he struck a photographer who was trying to take their photo at LAX on Wednesday. "Mike acted in self-defense as a father protecting his child," said Tammy Brook. But photographer Tony Echevarria, 50, told TMZ that he "wasn't aggressive, I was shooting from a distance, and I was respectful." LAX police Sgt. Jim Holcomb says Tyson allegedly hit the photographer once in the face with one hand, causing a laceration on the forehead, but Echevarria said Tyson struck him at least four times and he received five stitches. The two made citizen's arrests on each other, were booked on misdemeanor battery and released without bail.

• • •

Even though both Josh Duhamel and his new bride, Fergie, have dismissed her story of a one-night-stand with the star, the stripper who has made the allegation has kept the story alive by telling Fergie, "I'm sorry." In an interview, exotic dancer Nicole Forrester says, "I thought, 'Nobody's gonna find out. It's not gonna hurt anybody.' I'm sorry that I didn't think of it like I think of it now." Forrester claims that she has passed a lie-detector test about whether she had a sexual encounter with the actor, whom she met when he came into the Atanta strip club where she works. Wait, make that worked. Forrester also says she has given up stripping. "I don't want to because of my children," she says. "They asked that I never do it again."

• • •

Stephanie Pratt, the younger sister of Spencer Pratt, told People that being pulled over for drunk driving last month was "the worst thing to happen to me and, at the same time, it was the biggest blessing." The 23-year-old says, “I learned to not fall apart, which is something that I usually do when something goes bad in my life. I learned that it is all about temptation and that I am being tested.”

-- Anne Neville

Morning Links: Taylor Swift sweeps CMAs; Kanye West lampooned

Taylor Swift swept the Country Music Association Awards last night, winning Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist, Album of the Year and Video of the Year. She ended Kenny Chesney's streak as Entertainer of the Year (4 out of 5 years), and snapped American Idol winner Carrier Underwood's three year reign as Top Female Vocalist. After being awarded the trophy for Entertainer of the Year, Swift said through tears, "I'll never forget this moment because in this moment everything that I have ever wanted has just happened to me."

Kanye West was nowhere to be found, thankfully, but he was there in humor. At one point, hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley were bantering back and forth when Underwood told Paisley that she thought his video for "Welcome to the Future" was one of her favorite videos "in a long time." Before Paisley could speak, novelty songman Little Jimmy Dickens came on stage and said, "Excuse me, sir. I'll let you finish later. I know you had a nice video and all, but Taylor Swift made the best video of all time. Of all time! You go, girl!"

Also, former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker won Best New Male Artist, becoming only the second African-American performer to win a major individual award.

• • •

Mike Tyson was arrested at LAX airport on Wednesday after punching a photographer. According to police, the photographer approached Tyson, his wife and 10-month-old baby, and began taking picture. A scuffle broke out, with the photographer sustaining a cut on his forehead; and he was taken to a L.A. hospital for treatment. Tyson, on the other hand, was taken to a nearby LAPD station and was held on $20,000 bail.

• • •

Actor Ron Livingston, best known for his role as Peter in cult-favorite "Office Space," was married last week, according to People. Livingston and girlfriend Rosemarie DeWitt married in San Francisco on Nov 2, after more than three years of dating. 

• • •

Lil Kim has bailed on six concerts in London, over a nosebleed, according to the company that booked her for the gigs. Abstrakt Visions Entertainment paid $20,000 up front for the series of concert, and says that the singer canceled the shows after suffering a nosebleed the night before her first show. Lil Kim got on a plane and went back to the U.S. without telling the company, which tells TMZ that they intend to sue.

• • •

Jon Gosselin is trying to void his contract with the TLC network, saying that when the first contract was signed, he had no lawyer or manager representing his interests; and that he was merely an "unsophisticated father of eight" who was taken advantage of by the network. He says that the deal was so bad that the family only made $2000 an episode, and that the network violates child labor laws. 

Meanwhile, TMZ says that their sources say that TLC is keeping tabs on all of Jon's appearances. The network is said to be tallying Jon's income from each appearance, especially since they say that Jon is violating his contract, which prohibits him from doing "any media including any online or print...without the Company's or Producer's prior written consent."

• • •

Joe Jackson continues to fight for a share of his late son's estate. Joe Jackson is now claiming that because Michael promised to "always support" him, that means even in Michael's death he should be supported financially. Always means always. Joe Jackson's lawyer Brian Oxman is calling it a verbal contract and is considering filing a creditor's claim against the estate.

• • •

Speidi is returning to the "Today" show, where they will once again be interviewed by Al Roker. Spencer Pratt, and his wife Heidi, appeared on "Today" in June fresh off their controversial appearance on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" During that appearance, Roker questioned their celebrity and morals. Later, the couple mocked Roker's credentials in other interviews. The pair are returning to promote a book they've co-authored called, "How to Be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press, and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture."

-- Dave Valenzuela

Morning Links: Carrie Prejean calls sex tape she made for teen boyfriend 'biggest mistake of my life'

After days of coy non-denials that Carrie Prejean dropped her lawsuit against the Miss California USA pageant after pageant officials got their hands on a solo sex tape she made at age 17 for a boyfriend, the controversial pageant contestant has hit the talk shows to plug her book, "Still Standing: The Untold Story of My Fight Against Gossip, Hate, and Political Attacks" --  and to explain the tape. On "Today," the dethroned beauty queen said the tape surfaced because people are working to "embarrass" and "humiliate" her because she said she does not believe in same-sex marriage in response to a question from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton during the Miss USA pageant. On "Hannity," Prejean called making the tape for a boyfriend she "loved and cared about," "the biggest mistake of my life." In a tense interview on "The View," Prejean again said she was attacked -- and the sex tape was produced -- because she did not support gay marriage. Joy Behar replied, "Miss Prejean, you made the tape.. and yet you say that you're a victim. I don't totally buy it."

• • •

Michael Lohan continues his campaign to embarrass his daughter Lindsay and her mother Dina by releasing taped phone conversations, including one in which Dina says LiLo was involved with Heath Ledger when he died. Dina told Michael about the relationship because she was afraid for Lindsay, saying, "Because when she's drunk or takes an Adderral with it she will do something like Heath Ledger did in a second without thinking." Dina says Lindsay's volatile relationship with Samantha Ronson would have ended long ago if Lindsay were rational. Now Dina tells E! News, "The tapes were from a long time ago, and for a father to stoop this low is unforgivable. My ex-husband has been in and out of jail for 10 years. My children and I gave him a chance to get to know them again, and he clearly blew that chance!"

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Britney Spears has finally made a statement about the lip-synching controversy that accompanied her first-ever concerts in Australia. "I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show," the singer said in a statement. "Some reporters have said they love it and some don't. I came to Australia for my fans!" An Australian government official said last week that fans, some of whom paid up to $1,200 for tickets to the "Circus" tour show, should be aware that large parts of the performances were taped in advance. The Musicians Union of Australia agreed. "It's not right that people are going to the concert when they are being misled," said Terry Noone, the union's federal secretary. "That's the issue. It's not about music, it's about false advertising.” Reports that some fans walked out of her first concert were called "the biggest lie I've ever heard" by the tour promoter. Paul Dainty also said he lip-synching is no secret: "It's been all over the internet for nine months," Dainty said. 'The inference is that we tried to hide this. It's been the opposite. This show is about an incredible spectacle, which it is," he said.

• • •

The split between Michael Jackson's parents was exposed in court Tuesday, when Katherine Jackson's attorney, Adam Streisand, said in court that she had no objection to the two executors that her ex, Joe Jackson, wants booted. Streisand argued that because Michael left Joe nothing in the will, he has no standing to object. Joe's attorney, Brian Oxman, says that if Joe doesn't get an allowance from the estate, he'll file a creditor's claim. Katherine's attorney says she has no problem with Joe getting an allowance, but he has no standing in court. At the end of the day, the judge agreed with Katherine that Joe has no right to object.

• • •

The man accused of trying to extort $2 million from David Letterman says Letterman continued his affair with his former personal assistant months after he married his longtime girlfriend in March. Gerald Shargel, Robert Halderman's attorney, says Stephanie Birkitt promised to end the affair when Halderman confronted her in December 2008. But Halderman's lawyer claims the relationship continued "unabated" into the summer. Letterman's lawyer refused to say when the talk show host broke off his affair with Birkitt. In court, Shargel asked that the charges be dismissed and said the demand for $2 million was "a pure commercial transaction" over a screenplay.

• • •

Shaquille O'Neal's seven-year marriage is on the rocks again. Wife Va'shaundya has filed for a legal separation from the basketball star, citing irreconcilable differences. Shaunie is seeking child support and full custody of their four children, ages 3 to 9. Last time the two split, in 2007, Shaq filed for divorce, sparking a bitter court battle over whether he was concealing family money from her. The two later reconciled. Shaq's people say this move by Shaunie is all about money, and note that she pulled the kids out of school and let their Florida home to file in Los Angeles, where spousal support is reportedly more generous.

-- Anne Neville