Pop Stand

The judge hearing the John Travolta extortion case has declared a mistrial, fearing that the jury had become compromised. Closing arguments in the case were Wednesday morning and the case went to the jury for deliberation.

Senior Justice Anita Allen stopped deliberations after 9 hours "in the interest of justice" after a politician reported that the jury had acquitted one of the defendants before deliberations had even ended. Erring on the side of caution, the judge declared a mistrial.

Ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and politician Pleasant Bridgewater allegedly tried to extort $25 million from Travolta, threatening to release documents that suggested Travolta was at fault for the death of his son Jett.

A new trial date has not been set.

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Roman Polanski's lawyers are giving opposing commentary on whether the director is ready to return to the U.S. and face the courts. In a European radio interview attorney Georges Kiejman said that  "An extradition procedure could take months. It could lead towards extradition if the Swiss judiciary doesn't hold with the arguments put before it. If that procedure drags on forever, it's possible Roman Polanski will finally choose to go to explain himself in the United States ... where arguments in his favor exist"

On the other hand... Polanski's French attorney Herve Temime tells Reuters:"There has been no change in strategy at all. There were some comments by Mr. Kiejman that were misunderstood. There is no disagreement at all."

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It's breast cancer awareness month, and an unlikely spokeman has come forward. SpokesMAN? Yes. Drummer Pete Criss of the legendary rock band KISS is talking about the diagnosis of breast cancer he received in December 2007. "It can happen to you, and when it does, if you don't deal with it right away, with your 'dude' and your metal and your tattoos, you'll go in the box and we'll see you," Criss said in an interview with Reuters. Criss had a lumpectomy and later a mastectomy to fight this rare cancer in men. 

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In what is becoming a trend these days, a paparazzo vehicle rear-ended the car of one of the Jackson family members in Los Angeles yesterday. The police report that there were no injuries and the damage was minor. It was unclear who was in the vehicle that was struck however, except it didn't contain any of MIchael's children.

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Amy Winehouse's father was on television in the UK and was proud to report that both his daughter and her new boobs are "fantastic." Mitch Winehouse was on a television show talking about the documentary he is filming about health care in the UK. When asked about Amy and her reported $56,000 breast augmentation surgery, the elder Winehouse said, "Fantastic, fantastic. Her boobs are great as well.I shouldn't have said that should I? She looks absolutely fantastic." 

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E! Online has unearthed one of Richard Heene's truly awful attempts to make a television show. It's Box Time! The clip shows Heene and his wife Mayumi teaching kids about how much fun boxes can be, including making a house out of them. It even had an animated sidekick named Boxter who was supposed to be funny, I guess?

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Comedian Rosie O'Donnell confirms to People that she and her wife Kelli Carpenter are having marital issues, but denies that she has moved out of the family's Long Island home. "We're a family. We will remain a family forever. ... Kelli and I love each other very much and we are working on our issues," O'Donnell said.

-- Dave Valenzuela