Pop Stand

Conan O'Brien may be out of "The Tonight Show" chair as early as tomorrow, according to the AP. Negotiations between O'Brien and NBC were said to be nearing an end on Wednesday, with the sticking point being the fate of employees from O'Brien's show. The network has said that they are willing to pay severance to the employees, but they have a history of making it difficult for workers, as they did when David Letterman left NBC for CBS.

The AP says that 'big name' guests have been booked for the end of the week, including Robin Williams tonight, with Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell booked for tomorrow. Ferrell's booking is no coincidence, as he was O'Brien's first guest, and very well may be his last guest as the host of "Tonight."

An official announcement could be made as early as today, if the settlement is finalized.

• • •

Charlie Sheen's wife, Brooke Mueller, was admitted to the hospital yesterday after developing an infection and high fever stemming from an oral surgery earlier in the week. Mueller was at her home when she developed a 105 degree fever while battling the infection.  Mueller was sent to the intensive care unit after developing pneumonia, and was pumped with high doses of antibiotics. The prosecutor's office in Aspen has amended the order of protection they issued after the Sheen's domestic incident with Mueller, so that Sheen could visit his wife in the hospital. The 'no-harassment' part of the order still remains intact, but Sheen will at least be able to see her while she is hospitalized.

• • •

Simon Monjack, the husband of Brittany Murphy, told People in an interview that many of the prescription drugs reported after the death of Murphy belong to him. Monjack is an oral cancer survivor who suffers from seizures and migraines, as well as a heart condition. Monjack says that Murphy was only on an antibiotic and cough medicine, but had taken Vicoprofen for menstrual cramps. Monjack believes that Murphy had a congenital heart murmur, which may have led to her death.

• • •

Roman Polanski's lawyers are expected to file a motion to have the director sentenced to time served, rather than extradite him to the U.S. for sentencing. Polanski has been in exile for more than 30 years, after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse. The lawyer for Polanski's victim will be filing a motion in support of Polanski, asking that the director be sentenced in absentia, and that he also be sentenced to time served.

• • •

Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones are planning a 25th Anniversary version of "We Are the World" with proceeds to go to Haitian earthquake relief efforts. The song will be recorded February 1st, the day after the Grammys. E! News says that some of the people invited to perform include Usher, John Legend and Natalie Cole, but considering the timing with the Grammys, more big names are likely to attend  the anniversary celebration and take part in the recording.

• • •

Former 'Survivor' contestant Jennifer Lyon, who finished fourth in the Palau edition, has died at the age of 37. Lyon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 after competing on the reality show. Host Jeff Probst reconnected with Lyon in recent years, and said of Lyon: "Her wisdom about how to live a life with quality seemed to grow with each passing day."

• • •

A&E has confirmed that they have signed David Hasselhoff to do a reality television show. The network has requested a preliminary order of 10 episodes, which will 'focus on Hasselhoff's business ventures and his role as a divorced father trying to guide his teenage daughters as they look to break into the recording industry.' In a statement, Hasselhoff said of this new venture, "It's the dream of every parent to be able to help their children succeed. I told the girls that I would help them open the door when they are ready, but they would have to walk through it on their own. This is their time."

• • •

Actress Tara Reid became engaged on Monday to boyfriend Michael Axtmann. The couple was dining at a Los Angeles restaurant when Axtmann popped the question. Reid's rep said, "Michael surprised Tara with a beautiful round brilliant cut ring. Tara was so happy, and the other patrons clapped and yelled out, 'Congratulations.'"

-- Dave Valenzuela

We watched and commented as 'American Idol' auditions hit Orlando, including the guy who split his pants, the other guy who had to be taken away by security -- in handcuffs, which seems like a first for 'Idol -- and the two big-haired sisters from New Jersey.

-- Anne Neville

Heidi Montag, who had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day and told People she was "beyond obsessed" with having cosmetic surgery, now says she isn't addicted to plastic surgery. Appearing on "Good Morning America," Montag said of those who say she is addicted to cosmetic surgery, "I would say that none of those people know me at all, and that's just a judgment. I'm not addicted. If I were addicted, I would have had 10 plastic surgeries." The interviewer pointed out that she has had 10 surgeries-- all on the same day back in November, ranging from enormous breast implants to a smaller chin and nose. Montag says she doesn't look like a Barbie doll, just "a different, improved version of myself." This surgical overhaul is the 23-year-old's second -- she had a nose job and breast implants in 2007. TMZ published before-and-after photos of Montag's face and neck, at age 19, on the right, and now, on the left. Much of the most drastic work has been done on her body, but her face has changed substantially.

• • •

The late-night talk-show plot has thickened with Fox apparently taking an online step to plan for the arrival of Conan O'Brien. Last week, the Intellectual Property Department at 20th Century Fox registered the  domain name "ConanOnFox.com." The site was linked to a Twitter page, but this is where things get strange. On Tuesday afternoon, the Twitter page had a single post: "'Triumph means many things to many different people'—SoSH. Stay tuned." TMZ has reported that "SoSH" refers to a Boston Red Sox fan forum called "Sons of Sam Horn." One of the site's moderators told TMZ that a member of the forum, "on his own ... recreated the Conan on FOX Twitter site and referenced SoSH."

• • •

The mother of tennis star Anna Kournikova was charged with child neglect Tuesday in Palm Beach after Anna's 5-year-old half-brother fell out a second-story window while he was left home alone. WPTV reported that the child, named Allan, climbed out the window, hung by his hands and dropped onto some rocks. He jumped in a pool because his feet hurt, then got out and was found crying and bleeding by neighbors. A police report says Alla Kournikova left the boy home alone, with the doors locked with deadbolts from the outside, and downstairs windows painted shut or shuttered. Alla told police that her son was watching TV and did not want to go with her when she left the house to run errands for about 50 minutes. He suffered bruises on his feet and back in the fall.

• • •

A planned court hearing in Charlie Sheen's domestic violence case has been delayed for two days because his wife Brooke Mueller must stay in bed after having a wisdom tooth removed, People is reporting. Mueller's attorney filed a request that she be allowed to attend by phone, but the judge postponed the hearing, which was set for today in Aspen, Colo., until Friday.

• • •

Neil Patrick Harris is said to be close to signing a deal to appear on the hit "Glee," Entertainment Weekly is reporting. He's the latest star to be rumored to appear on the hit show, joining Jennifer Lopez and Justin Timberlake. Harris would appear in an episode directed by Joss Whedon, who directed Harris in  the short film, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." A source told E!Online that the episode of "Glee," set to air in the late spring, will use "Neil's acting, singing and dancing talents ... And of course his awesome comedy chops."

• • •

After Jeff Conaway suffered extensive injuries in a fall in his house, the "Grease"and "Taxi" star "thinks these are his final days," his girlfriend, Vikki Lizzi, told E!Online. She added, "The story is very complicated, which is why I have to tell it." Manager Phil Brock said Conaway had surgery on his broken hip yesterday. The actor, 59, who has twice appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," suffered a brain hemorrhage and broken neck in the fall, which Brock says this is Conaway's second. “This is the culmination of four months of health problems. He fell four months ago and has had trouble with stability and walking since,” Brock said.

• • •

 During a taped appearance that was shown Tuesday, Susan Boyle told Oprah that she has only suffered from exhaustion, not any kind of mental breakdown. Oprah did not press the Scottish singer about recent reports of bizarre behavior, including outbursts in Heathrow Airport and a cafe. After "Britain's Got Talent" ended, Boyle said, she was caught up in the whirl of sudden celebrity and was hospitalized. "I hadn't eaten for about a week," she said. "I hadn't slept. The feeling was one of extreme exhaustion. It's a chapter of my life that's over with now." This week, Boyle was snubbed by the British record industry, which didn't give her a single nomination for the 2010 Brit Awards. The awards are "supposed to be a celebration of British music – and cool," a source told the Daily Mail. "And whatever anyone thinks of Susan Boyle, she certainly isn't cool."

• • •

The man who is accused of attempting to extort $2 million from David Letterman must stand trial on the charges, a judge ruled Tuesday. A judge rejected a motion made by Robert Halderman's attorneys to dismiss the case on the grounds that Halderman was just offering Letterman a chance to buy and keep private a screenplay Halderman had written about Letterman's relationships with women on his staff. The judge rejected the so-called "Tiger defense," that Halderman's request for payment was no different than Tiger Woods' mistresses seeking payments to keep quiet about their affairs with the golfer. If the case goes to trial, Letterman will have to testify in court about the affairs he had with women on his staff, including the one-time girlfriend of Halderman.

• • •

Some on-air radio show banter has sparked the false rumor that Kim Kardashian has a bet with boyfriend Reggie Bush that would make him buy her an engagement ring if his New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl, she says on her blog. Last week, a Dallas radio show interviewer asked if she was hoping for "bling-bling on the finger" in 2010. "I said, yes, a Super Bowl ring for Reggie. Then they said that if he gets a Super Bowl ring, I get an engagement ring, and I said 'ok deal!'" the reality star writes on her blog. Stories began circulating that Kardashian and Bush had an engagement-for-Super Bowl bet. "This was taken way out of context by a lot of media outlets," Kardashian says. "In NO way is that a bet I made with Reggie! … I just wanted to clear that up."

• • •

Sean Patrick Thomas and wife Aonika Laurent are expecting a second child this summer. "All is going well and they are due in June," says rep Karen Samfilippo. The couple, both 39, married in 2006 and have one daughter, Lola Jolie, 20 months.

• • •

Join me back here tonight at 8 p.m. while we chat live during the "American Idol" auditions from Orlando!

-- Anne Neville

Tuesday "American Idol" drew its largest crowd of auditioners -- some 12,000 -- in Chicago. Guest Judge Shania Twain was a non-factor except for some suggestive remarks she made to a hot guy named John Park. Remember that name! See you back here tomorrow night, when the Orlando auditions are televised!

Jay Leno told viewers of his show last night that the situation with NBC and Conan O'Brien  is "all business" and that he holds no grudge against O'Brien. "I have no animosity toward him. This is all business. If you don't get the ratings, they take you off the air," Leno said.

Leno is expected to return to "The Tonight Show," while O'Brien has been rumored to be getting a settlement in the neighborhood of $45-50 million, with a release from the network which would allow him to start a new show in a different network as soon as September. TMZ is reporting, however, that O'Brien will get just $32.5 million from NBC to part ways. TMZ also says that NBC will pay severance to all of O'Brien's employees, bring the total buyout to around $40 million.

TMZ also reports, that like David Letterman's departure from the network, NBC will retain the intellectual rights to O'Brien's signature bits. Additionally, the buyout will be offset by any offer made by a competing network. So, for example, if O'Brien gets a $20 million offer from another network, NBC would only be on the hook for $12.5 million. It is widely believed that O'Brien will take his show to Fox, which has long desired to enter the late night talk show wars, and have had an admiration for O'Brien and his show.

• • •

A writer who has previously written about his own sex addiction says that Tiger Woods is a patient at Gentle Path, a sex addiction program at a facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Benoit Denizet-Lewis, who wrote "America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life," says that sources confirm that Woods is there at Gentle Path. While writing about his own experiences there, Denizet-Lewis says that patients must sign a "celibacy contract" while receiving treatment; write "empathy letters" to loved ones hurt by their addiction; attend group sessions; among other treatments.

• • •

A Manhattan judge is expected to rule today on a motion to dismiss the extortion case against Robert "Joe" Halderman, who is charged with attempting to extort $2 million from late night talk show host David Letterman. Halderman's attorney continues to insist that the extortion attempt was commerce and not a crime. Halderman could be sentence to 15 years in prison if convicted.

• • •

Wyclef Jean is defending himself from accusations that he misused funds from his Yele Haiti Foundation, days after The Smoking Gun website reported that more than $400,000 was used by the singer for personal gain. Jean said at a press conference yesterday, "Have I made mistakes? Yes. Did I use Yele money for personal gains? Absolutely not. The books are open. We have a clean bill of health from an auditor." Jean's group has been been recruiting help from celebrities to shine a light on the needs of the island nation which has been devastated by the recent earthquake.

• • •

Actor Jeff Conaway, who has battled addiction on prime-time television, was rushed to the hospital yesterday after falling down a staircase. Conaway's girlfriend tells TMZ that he suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a fractured neck and a brain hemorrhage. Conaway, who has starred in "Grease" and "Taxi" was a member of the "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" show on VH1.

• • •

Jennifer Lopez is in talks with producers to appear on the Fox hit show "Glee." Lopez would appear as a cafeteria worker in the script, and may leave the door open to multiple appearances on the show. "Discussions are ongoing and we haven't gotten into the episode(s) she'd be appearing in," producer Brad Falchuk told E! News. Falchuk's dream guest would be Bruce Springsteen, while Justin Timberlake is on the wishlist of star Lea Michele. 

• • •

Last week's 'American Idol' audition breakout star "General" Larry Platt told the panel on "The View" yesterday that he was inspired to write "Pants on the Ground" after observing a person wearing saggy pants, sucking on a baby bottle, in public. 

And the "Pants on the Ground" phenomena is spreading. If you didn't catch the end of the Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday, Brett Favre led the team in a post-game chant of the phrase after defeating the Dallas Cowboys. 

Speaking of "American Idol" ... Join Anne Neville back here at Pop Stand tonight at 8:00 PM as she chats live during the broadcast.

Their sudden kiss after they tied for an award at the Critics' Choice Awards Friday night may have been good luck for Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep -- both won Golden Globes of their own Sunday night. After the two were announced as co-winners of the best actress award Friday night, Bullock said, laughing, "This is bulls---!" then reached for Streep and the two women kissed on the lips. Sunday, each had her own Golden Globe -- Streep for best actress in a comedy for "Julie and Julia" and Bullock for best actress in a drama for "The Blind Side." Top male movie awards went to Jeff Bridges for the drama "Crazy Heart" and Robert Downey Jr. for the comedy "Sherlock Holmes."

• • •

A little rain on the red carpet didn't dim Sunday's high-wattage show, which had such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Robert Di Nero and Sophia Loren handing out the awards. The top movie winners were "Avatar" for best drama and the dark horse "The Hangover" for best comedy.  Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow won for their roles in Showtime's "Dexter," with Hall wearing a black stocking cap on stage to accept his award. He revealed last week that he has been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is now in remission. Mo'Nique, who won the supporting-actress Globe for her harrowing role as an abusive mother in "Precious," started by thanking God "for this amazing ride that you're allowing me to go on." Many stars at Sunday evening's Golden Globes Awards wore red-and-yellow "Remember Haiti" ribbons.

• • •

Speaking of Paul McCartney, a British newspaper is reporting that he has proposed to his girlfriend of two years, New Yorker Nancy Shevell. The two met some 20 years ago but did not date until McCartney was in the midst of his messy divorce from second wife Heather Mills. Shevell, who was previously married to Bruce Blakeman, is an exective in her family's trucking company. "Nancy comes from a similar wealthy East Coast background to [McCartney's first wife] Linda and it makes everyone comfortable that she is clearly not after Paul's money," a source told The People newspaper. Shevell is said to be liked by both of McCartney's daughters --  Beatrice, 6, his child with Mills, and Stella, 38, Linda's daughter, who never got along with Mills.

• • •The stars will turn out again Friday to lend a hand to  George Clooney's telethon, "Hope for Haiti." Sting and wife Trudie Styler were the first to sign up after Clooney met them at a party last week. Since then, many top stars have stepped forward to appear, perform or answer phones. The telethon will run from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday on MTV, VH1, ABC, NBC, HBO and CNN. Celebs will be participating from both coasts. Plenty of other celebrities have already kicked in, with supermodel Gisele Bundchen giving $1.5 million to the Red Cross, the Jolie-Pitts and Sandra Bullock kicking in $1 million each, Madonna giving $500,000, Lady Gaga promising the proceeds of a concert and David Blaine beginning a magic marathon. Native son Wyclef Jean traveled to Haiti to provide hands-on help, and is also assisting through his Yéle Haiti Foundation, which is being supported by Akon.

• • •

A source close to Dennis Hopper has told the New York Post that while he is near death from prostate cancer, his fifth wife, upset with the size of her inheritance, "has barricaded herself in their Venice Beach, Calif., home." Hopper, who is said to be hospitalized, filed for divorce from Victoria Duffy, his wife of 14 years, on Thursday, citing "irreconcilable differences." Hopper, 73, has suffered from prostate cancer for a decade but his health recently deteriorated and he is not expected to live more than a month. Hooper is said to be trying to keep his wife from contesting his will, which apparently leaves her only a quarter of his estate, exactly what she agreed to in the couple's prenup. He is also said to be pressuring Victoria to move from the Venice Beach house, which is in a compound shared with two of his grown children from previous relationships and their families.

• • •

The year ended with a bang for financially embarrassed star Nic Cage, who was slapped with a federal tax lien on Dec. 31, 2009, for $6,712,821.99 in unpaid taxes for 2008. Cage blames his former financial manager, Sam Levin, for frittering away his millions This $6 million lien is in addition to the $6,617,550.84 he owes from 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007, making his  total bill now $13,330,372.83. In a statement, Cage said: "Over the course of my career I have paid at least $70 million in taxes. Unfortunately, due to a recent legal situation, another approximate $14 million is owed to the IRS, however, I am under new business management and am happy to say that I am current for 2009. All taxes will be paid including any to be determined state taxes."

• • •

In their first set of interviews since Brittany Murphy's death Dec. 20, her mother and widower say they believe she died because of a congenital heart murmur. In the interview with People, Sharon Murphy and Simon Monjack denied that the actress was mentally ill, had an eating disorder, or abused drugs. "She had a little bit of a cold," says Sharon. "You could never in a billion years imagine this happening." They say Murphy's heart condition was diagnosed when she was a teenager and she had received appropriate medical care. "We had it checked out every which way you could imagine," says Monjack. In an interview with Larry King that will be broadcast Wednesday, Murphy and Monjack say they are grieving together."Sharon and I were holding each other. And they let us know at the same time that she hadn't made it," Monjack said. He said his wife died because "Hollywood broke Brittany Murphy's heart."

• • •

The rumor mill went into overdrive when Miley Cyrus, 17, was spotted wearing a sparkly ring on her left ring finger, but her rep denies she is engaged to to her new boyfriend, "Last Song" costar Liam Hemsworth, 19. "Miley's not engaged," her rep told People.

• • •

But Megan Fox may be engaged .. again. Her one-time fiance, Brian Austin Green, answered a fan's question Saturday by Tweeting that he is "engaged and [has] a son from [his] previous relationship." Fox reportedly called off the pair's engagement last February, but they were soon back together. Fox reportedly purchased a $2.9 million house in Los Feliz for herself and Green.

-- Anne Neville

He may be losing his job, but he's going out with a bang. Conan O'Brien's show soared in popularity as his employment situation grew increasingly precarious. people tuned in to hear what he'd say next, and Conan O'Brien obliged. His self-deprecating remarks have included a statement of support from the Pope and an appearance by Kenneth the Page.

The web site funnyordie.com generally has a humorous take on current affairs -- and of course, the week's Tonight Show meltdown is a perfect target. They have a series of "leaked" voicemails from an increasingly agitated Jeff Zucker, the CEO of NBC, to Conan O'Brien.

And finally, Vickie Howell, a redhead who hosts the DIY show "Knitty Gritty," has chipped in with her expertise. Howell, who was on the cover of a magazine Conan once held up on camera, has published a design for a "Team Conan" T-shirt, left, you can make at home. She even has one for babies, and posted a photo of her daughter Clover, a "future redhead," wearing a onesie bearing the design, and looking pretty pleased!

Enjoy! And try to have a better weekend than Conan will ...

-- Anne Neville

TMZ is reporting that Jay Leno has struck a deal with the network and will again host "The Tonight Show" from 11:35 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. His contract guaranteed him the 10 p.m. time slot, so it had to be renegotiated, and the web site says that is now complete. While E!Online says Leno has not yet signed a deal, the web site's sources agree with TMZ that Conan O'Brien plans to make next week of his te last week of his suddenly must-see show. People is reporting that a source close to Conan says he "does not currently plan on doing any more new shows after next week." Earlier in the week, O'Brien released an open letter saying he would not preside over the "destruction" of the show. While the late night calendar continues to change, a source at "The Tonight Show" says,"Everyone is working as usual in getting the show on." If Jan. 22 is indeed O'Brien's final broadcast, he will end his seven months as host of the show two weeks before NBC’s scheduled preemption for coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

• • •

Tila Tequila's publicist has quit because of "recent events," related to Tila's public expressions of grief over the death of her fiancee, Casey Johnson, and delight at being the center of attention. Jessica Cohen tells TMZ "Some matters need to remain private and away from media attention ... I realized we need to part ways while she deals with the loss of her fiancee." Tila explained Cohen's departure by saying Cohen couldn't handle the stress and "kinda freaked out." Meanwhile, Tequila, who is on the right in the photo with Johnson, told RadarOnline that she is certain Johnson did not commit suicide. "I know there was an accident,” Tequila said. “I know there was a mixture of most likely her sleeping pills with her diabetes.”

• • •

An attorney for Kelis Jones has filed court papers asking that her estranged husband, Nas Jones, be held in contempt for refusing to pay child and spousal support. The document says he owes $56,911.50 and hasn't paid a cent since Dec. 1.

• • •

A restraining order is keeping Courtney Love away from her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, but it hasn't stopped Love from threatening the relatives who have custody of her. On Twitter,  Love wrote that the mother and sister of her late husband, Kurt Cobain, "squeesed my bank accounts so that they were frozen because they know im going to sue the holy s--t out of them and now are … crocodiling my kid whose better than this seriously she was raised too well to be bought." Love also Tweeted, "im severely lonely without my best friend and no am not on drugs BTW."

• • •

The husband of one of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" is in real trouble. Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice, husband of Teresa Giudice, was charged Thursday with driving under the influence after crashing his car into a telephone pole in New Jersey. Police in Montville Township, N.J., said they were called to the scene at 1:47 a.m. after a car struck a telephone pole. Giudice was treated at a hospital, then released to police and charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving [and] failure to maintain his traffic lane."

• • •

Within 24 hours the audition of the colorful Antonio Wheeler, who called himself "Skiiboski," was televised on "American Idol," his extensive criminal history had hit the web. TMZ posted five mug shots and a listing of his five arrests in Florida between March of 2005 and December of 2009. They included possession of cocaine and marijuana, escape, resisting, contempt of court, providing false ID to a law enforcement officer and battery by a detainee in detention facility, probation violations, driving with a suspended license and having no registration.

• • •

Rue McClanahan is making a slow but steady recovery from a "minor" stroke she suffered while recovering from heart bypass surgery, her rep tells E!Online. Best known for her role as sassy Golden Girl Blanche Devereaux, McClanahan had the heart operation in November, followed by surgery for a blood clot in her brain.

• • •

The estate of Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, has settled its lawsuit against the companies he sued over the jet crash in which he was injured in September of 2008. After he died less than a year later of an accidental drug overdose, the estate tacked on a wrongful-death clause, saying that the pain caused by burns he suffered in the crash caused him to become re-addicted to drugs. The settlement involves all defendants and terms are confidential.

-- Anne Neville

The whole country was buzzing this morning about Gen. Larry Platt, age 62, who wrapped up the Atlanta auditions of "American Idol" with a rousing tune he'd written, titled "Pants on the Ground."

You have to give the man props for his break dancing! Check it out:

The New York Daily News called it a "cleverly devised climactic tune," while People's TV Watch Idol Rewind blog noted that the "a musical critique of low-riding pants ... rivals Renaldo Lapuz’s original composition, “We’re Brothers Forever.”

Just in case you forgot Renaldo Lapuz, from Season 7:

Join us next week for live chat during Idol, Tuesday night from Chicago, and Wednesday night from Orlando.

UPDATE: Here's Rodney Ho's Atlanta Journal-Constitution blog interview with the man himself, Gen. Larry Platt, who, a day after his international debut, says, "It played real good. I liked it. I loved it."

-- Anne Neville 

Rating for Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" have surged as the dispute with NBC over the late night schedule continues. The Wall Street Journal reports that viewership is up for the show, including a 42% increase for the coveted 18 to 49 demographic. The boost came after O'Brien rejected NBC's plan to push "The Tonight Show" back to 12:05 a.m., and returning Leno to the 11:35 p.m. timeslot.

O'Brien has been taking shots at his employer during his monologues this week, and is said to be quietly waiting for a settlement, rather than quitting the network. If a settlement is reached for O'Brien to leave "The Tonight Show," he could make a jump to another network, possibly the Fox Network,  who is said to covet O'Brien and has a desire to get into the late night wars. 

• • •

Conan O'Brien does have one offer, though, after joking the other night that his dispute with NBC has made him want to "work in a classier business with better people, like hard-core porn." TMZ says that O'Brien has been contacted by a porn company with a contract to create a film called "Conan the Boobarian." The company, Pink Visual, says there is a demand for "tall, lean, pale, male 'gingers' that have a David Caruso kind of thing going on."

• • •

R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass died yesterday, after battling colon cancer for several months. Pendergrass had been in a wheelchair since a 1982 car accident, and had cancer surgery about eight months ago. Pendergrass' son says that the recovery from the surgery was very hard on his father.

• • •

Police were called to Speidi's house yesterday when a neighbor feared that Heidi Montag had been kidnapped. Montag was spotted by the worried neighbor -- Mrs. Kravitz, maybe? -- entering her home with a scarf over her head, and the neighbor interpreted that as a crime in progress, apparently. "We're grateful this was only a false alarm and I just had my pink Hermes scarf over me. A neighbor was concerned and called the police. We're thankful to the LAPD for their response and making sure we were safe," Montag told People.

• • •

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders to help the relief effort in Haiti after the island nation was devastated with a 7.0- magnitude earthquake. Of the donation, Pitt said, "We understand the first response is critical to serve the immediate needs of countless people who are now displaced from their homes, are suffering trauma, and most require urgent care."

• • •

 Actor Michael C. Hall, of Showtime's 'Dexter,' has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Us Weekly. Hall has received treatment and his rep says the lymphoma is "in complete remission." His rep, Craig Bankey, also says that Hall will attend the Golden Globes this weekend, and that production of his show will resume later this year. 

• • •

Jessica Simpson has been working in the studio with former Smashing Pumpkins frontman, Billy Corgan. The two have been rumored to be romantically linked, but Simpson tweets that it is just a musical collaboration. A source tells People, however, that the two met about four months ago and were dating secretly, while another source says that the romance is over and they are just friends. 

• • •

Another member of the crew that robbed Hollywood's young stars has finally been charged. Rachel Lee was charged Wednesday with three counts of felony burglary and two counts of receiving stolen property. The charges are related to break-ins at the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge and Paris Hilton. Lee turned herself into Los Angeles police yesterday, and has since been released on $150,000. 

• • •

GM has dropped Tiger Woods as a celebrity endorser, joining AT&T, Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture and Tag Heuer as companies dumping Woods. Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said that Woods' contract expired in 2008, but was extended until the end of 2009. Hart says that the decision was made before the scandal, and that Woods has been permitted to keep vehicles he received as part of the endorsement.

• • •

The disgraced former sheriff who was convicted of breaking into the home of the surrogate mother of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's twins has been given a light sentence for his crimes. Barry Carpenter was sentenced to 50 days house arrest and 3 years probation from breaking into the home of the surrogate and stealing items to sell to tabloids.

• • •

Mark Wahlberg and his wife Rhea Durham have welcomed a daughter to their "funky bunch." Grace Margaret was born Monday, and joins sibs Brendan, Michael and Ella.