Jesse James has moved on from Sandra Bullock. He has announced his engagement to tattoo artist and reality TV star Kat Von D. "You know sometimes the public and press gets it wrong. This is one of those times. 2010 was actually the best year of my life because I fell in love with my best friend. An amazing woman who stood behind me when the world turned their backs," James told People. "I have never met anyone so kind and loving and committed to making the world a better place every day. My love for her is beyond description. So honored that she said 'yes.' Growing old with her is going to be a f----n' blast!" The two have been dating since last summer. James' marriage to Bullock ended when she learned that he was linked to stripper Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. "LA Ink" star Von D said, "There is no one else for me. He's the one." Neil Lane, jeweler to the stars, described Von D's engagement ring, from his archival collection, as "a beautiful ring set with a central round diamond in the middle with smaller surrounding diamonds for an overall dome shape. It has a delicate filigree pattern with very pretty scroll-work." James has been married twice, to Karla James and to porn star Janine Marie Lindemulder; Von D has been linked to Nikki Sixx and rumored to have been involved with Bam Margera.
• • •
Cy Waits, Paris Hilton's boyfriend, is facing up to four years in prison on charges of misdemeanor DUI and being under the influence of a controlled substance that were filed when he and Hilton were stopped on the Las Vegas Strip in August. A criminal complaint was filed in Clark County Court Thursday against Waits, who was fired from his job with the Wynn nightclub after his arrest. He could face up to four years in prison for being found under the influence of a controlled substance, a felony; up to six months in jail for the misdemeanor DUI charge and a maximum fine of $600 for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, less than an ounce of marijuana. Hilton was also charged with possessing cocaine, a felony, but she pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and was not sentenced to any jail time.
• • •
George Clooney contracted malaria while visiting Sudan on a humanitarian mission, but his rep says he has recovered. "George is completely over the Malaria he contracted while in the Sudan during the first week in January," the rep said. Clooney says he took the recommended meds for the disease, which is carried by infected mosquitoes and causes flu-like symptoms such as chills and fever. "This illustrates how with proper medication, the most lethal condition in Africa can be reduced to a bad 10 days instead of a death," Clooney said. He had traveled to war-torn Sudan to work with the U.N. to prevent new fighting from breaking out.
• • •
Judson "Fabio" Birza, the winner of last season's "Survivor," was arrested in Santa Monica Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance while he was riding a skateboard in the street, which is illegal. Police said they stopped Birza for the skateboard violation, noticed he was acting strangely, and determined he was under the influence. Birza was also booked for a DUI related warrant as well as a probation violation and was held for a short time on $37,000 bail. When he was released, Birza, who flashed a big grin in his mug shot, left, complained bitterly that police had treated him "like a baby," then dashed off to get into the limo his pals hired to pick him up.
• • •
Michael Jackson's estate has sued Katherine Jackson's business partner, claiming that Howard Mann illegally made millions of bucks from Jackson's music, photos and drawings. The 52-page suit claims Mann, who operates MichaelJacksonSecretVault.com, led fans to believe his website was legitimate, when it was "rife with illegal uses of Michael Jackson intellectual property." The suit alleges Mann illegally published clips, artwork and trailers from "This Is It," and material from the "Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition" CD and much, much more. In a reply to TMZ, Mann calls the estate a "fraudulently obtained dictatorship," and the lawsuit "malicious and unfounded."
-- Anne Neville
