Hayden Panettiere's Striptease!

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Celebrity FIX

Things have certainly heated up on the set of Heroes... and all the action seems to be happening off camera!
Hayden Panettiere apparently gave her beau, Milo Ventimiglia, a very special birthday present: she ripped off her character's cheerleader outfit to reveal some red lingerie. If that wasn't show stopping enough, she then proceeded to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Milo in front of the cast and crew.
To make this very bold gesture possible, the show’s wardrobe staff made a Velcro-lined version of the outfit Hayden wears on the hit show.
Milo is unlikely to forget his 31st birthday any time soon...

Beijing opening ceremony footage leaked

Video

Leaked footage from the ceremony includes a spectacular light show.
Images from the top secret opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games have been published more than a week ahead of the event.
In what has been described as a major embarrassment for Games organisers, a Korean television network has filmed and broadcast 30 seconds from rehearsals of the show on Monday night.
An employee of Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System said that one of its reporters arrived in Beijing on Monday and walked from the International Broadcast Centre into the Bird's Nest and shot the footage, Fairfax reported on Thursday.
Beijing Olympics spokesman Sun Weide on Wednesday night told Fairfax media that the footage was obtained by "abnormal means" and questioned the professional standards of the reporter.
Chinese authorities are reportedly feverishly working to get the footage removed from YouTube.
"We hope to surprise the world with an excellent performance," Weide said.
The footage shows the ceremony beginning with a countdown and thunderous drums, while a giant traditional scroll painting unfurls, revealing a lone rhythmic gymnast, Fairfax says.
Two huge humpback whales are seen swimming around the roof of the stadium, while on the ground, hundreds perform martial arts, and trapeze artists dance to orchestral music with Chinese string instruments.
Security surrounding plans for the opening ceremony has been unprecedented.
Next Friday night's ceremony, due to start at 8.08pm on 08-08-08, is set to go for three and a half hours.
It is directed by China's best-known film director, Zhang Yimou.
Design and production teams and the thousands of cast members have had to sign confidentiality agreements.
The vision has been taken down from many websites, but was still on News Ltd and Fairfax websites in Australia early on Thursday.
© AAP 2008

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Baby number two for Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck

New Idea

The couple - who already have a two-year-old daughter Violet - will soon be adding to their family, revealed Jennifer's former 'Alias' co-star Victor Garber.

When Victor - who officiated Ben and Jennifer's wedding in 2005 - was asked if the actress is pregnant, he replied: "Yes, she is."

A source close to the couple told a US magazine: "Jennifer is five months pregnant. They are both very happy."

Jennifer, 36, recently hinted she and Ben were planning to further extend their brood.

She said: "We definitely wonder what it would be like to have another - hopefully, knock on wood, someday. My job is great to have as a mom. I get to take breaks and then work in a really concentrated way. During that concentrated time, it sucks, but whatever."

The '13 Going On 30' actress also revealed Ben, 35, is a fantastic father to Violet, adding: "You know how as a kid you picture yourself with a tall, handsome husband, and you imagine him cuddling your baby? Ben is like that, like, on crack!

"Violet prefers him to anyone. He's a teddy bear of a guy. Nothing makes me happier than to see the two of them together and her little hands on his face. He has a prevailing calm. Of course, he has the benefit of sleep!"

Jen's out of control beauty binge

Jennifer Aniston has reportedly been spending $AUD8,212 a month on her appearance.
The 39-year-old actress is allegedly worried her younger boyfriend, John Mayer, 30, will leave her for a younger woman and so has been splashing out to maintain her looks and figure.
The astonishing sum reportedly includes $AUD2,053 on a personal chef and $AUD1,539 for one-on-one yoga sessions with Los Angeles' top instructor, Mary Ingber.
A source revealed: "Jennifer doesn't have time to prepare her own healthy meals, so she's signed up with this organic, high-protein, low-fat meal delivery service."
Jennifer has reportedly been shelling out on beauty treatments costing her hundreds of dollars a time.
The source added to Britain's Grazia magazine: "Jennifer has been spending $AUD1,539 a month on seaweed and oxygen facials. She claims they instantly erase lines, dark spots and puffiness.
"Amazingly, she doesn't have a trace of cellulite. And now it seems she's become more scrupulous about her thighs, having anti-cellulite spa sculpting treatments that cost about $AUD1,027 a month. She's also been spending around $AUD719 on exfoliating body wraps. "Jen invests up to $AUD616 a month on maintaining her hair too."
Also on Jen's list are personal training sessions, manicures and pedicures at $AUD308 per month and $AUD205 a week on massages to ease stress.

(C) BANG Media International

Photo: WireImage.com

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Kylie may bring new tour to Australia

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Pop princess Kylie Minogue is in talks to bring her highly acclaimed KylieX2008 tour home to Australia by the end of the year.
Music promoter and chairman of Frontier Touring, Michael Gudinski, said he hopes Minogue will play for Australian audiences in December this year, following the completion of her 53-date European tour in August.
"If everything can work out there's every possibility we will do some dates later this year," Gudinski told AAP in Manchester.
"How many dates we can do, and how many cities we do, and that stuff, will have to be worked out - it's an absolutely gigantic production, it really is like taking theatre on the road.
"But from Frontier's point of view, I'm going to make every effort possible to make sure it happens."
The 21-nation KylieX2008 tour has received rave reviews in the UK and Europe.
London newspaper The Independent this week called Minogue a "pop genius" and said: "Pop is the highest of the arts because it encompasses all the others ... (and Kylie) is the ultimate practitioner of this ultimate discipline ... (and) on the issue of her supremacy, I won't give an inch."
Gudinski, who signed Minogue to his record label Mushroom Records in 1987 after hearing her debut single Locomotion, said he tried to discuss bringing the KylieX2008 tour to Australia during Minogue's 40th birthday celebrations in May.
She and her management were not willing to consider it then, he said.
"Today was the first time that we've ever had any real discussion about whether it could happen, and we had a good talk today," Gudinski said.
"She would really like it to come to Australia ... and I just think it would be absolutely unfair to her Australian fans not to see what is the most amazing production I've seen.
"Australia is her home country and she should be so proud of what she's doing."
Minogue got a taste of home on Monday night, meeting with fellow Aussies, music guru Molly Meldrum, RocKwiz host Julia Zemiro and radio personality Jonathan Coleman backstage before the third show of a six-night run in Manchester.
Dressed down in harem pants, sandals and a singlet, Minogue looked relaxed and happy as she chatted about the latest AFL results and being awarded an OBE at Buckingham Palace.
"It was such a unique experience," Minogue said of receiving the Order of the British Empire from Prince Charles on July 4.

Madonna reunites exes

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Madonna is trying to reunite former lovers Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake on stage for her upcoming Sticky & Sweet Tour.

Although the exes haven't been close since JT dumped the cheating singer in 2002, Madge is hoping the duo will set the stage alight by performing together.

"Madonna is always trying to raise the bar and Britney and Justin on the same stage would be perfect," says a source. "They have both been asked but I think they are both a bit reluctant."

Winehouse dad fears his daughter may die

Singer Amy Winehouse's father has spoken of his fear that she could die "a very slow and painful death" if she does not remain on the straight and narrow.
The Back To Black star, a recovering drug addict, was diagnosed with lung condition emphysema last month and her father Mitch has told Sky News television that she will stop performing live from September to rest her voice.
"My biggest fear is that she would die and she won't die of a drug overdose, it won't be that quick," Mitch Winehouse said.
"She would die, unfortunately, of emphysema. That would be the most likely scenario if she didn't check her behaviour, which she is doing.
"But if she didn't, that would be a likely scenario and we would be talking about a very slow and painful death, gasping for air."
He added that his daughter would love to have children, but understands it would be unwise at the moment.
Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil is currently behind bars awaiting sentencing for assault and perverting the course of justice.
Mitch Winehouse said that when Fielder-Civil left prison he would need to go into rehab.
"I would say it's last chance saloon if he comes out and they go back to doing what they were doing before, she's going to have a serious health problem.
"So perhaps as far as Amy is concerned, it's last chance saloon," he said.
"He's a fit young man, he could probably carry on like this for the rest of his life. Amy can't and he has to understand that."
Winehouse will start writing her new album from September, he added.
ninemsn

© AFP 2008

Momentum builds for Ledger Oscar prize

The momentum is building in Hollywood for Heath Ledger to be awarded an Oscar for his riveting performance as the make-up smudged psychopath, The Joker, in the new Batman film.
The late Australian actor has at least one vote from the Academy's 6,000 or so members.
Ledger's The Dark Knight co-star, British actor Michael Caine, says that at the very least Ledger should receive a best supporting actor nomination.
"I was stunned by his performance," Caine, a double Oscar winner and member of the Academy, told reporters in Los Angeles on Saturday.
"I was absolutely stunned by it."
The last actor to win a posthumous Oscar was Peter Finch in 1976 for Network.
Caine, 73, said he did not participate in rehearsals with Ledger before filming began on The Dark Knight, so in the first scene they shared together his jaw hit the floor when Ledger transformed into The Joker.
The scene involved The Joker gatecrashing a black tie party.
What shocked Caine the most was that he was chatting with Ledger quietly before the scene and the Australian was quietly spoken, but when director Christopher Nolan called "action", Ledger instantly switched into the slithering, despicable killer.
"I think it's a performance, at a minimum, that is going to get a posthumous Oscar nomination," Caine, who reprises his role as Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, said.
"It must do.
"That performance was extraordinary.
"You look at Heath, or you talk to Heath, and you don't know where the performance comes from.
"It's not like he's a big, noisy character or anything.
"He's just a very nice guy and then suddenly action is called on set and bang!
"You think: 'Wow'.
"I was knocked over by it."
Ledger, 28, died in January in his Manhattan apartment from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
The 81st Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on February 22.
The Dark Knight opens in Australia this Wednesday (July 16).
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© AAP 2008

Katie fears for Suri

Katie Holmes is said to be in a state of shock after learning of new allegations that some Scientology leaders abuse young children. The claims have been made by former Scientology members on www.exscientologykids.com, which boldly declares: 'I was born. I grew up. I escaped.'
The disenchanted women include Scientology leader David Miscavige's niece Jenna, who claims kids raised in the faith faced torturous child labour, religious brainwashing and a second-rate education.
On the website a Scientology 'escapee' claims: 'Some of us have lost our families. Some of us have experienced physical abuse and some of us were denied a proper education.'
Katie, 29, is said to have learnt about the women from an anxious family member who'd seen a segment on it while watching a US TV show.
Now Katie's concerned thattwo-year-old Suri and Tom's adopted kids Isabella, 15, and Conor, 13, might dislike their strict Scientology schooling.
A family insider says: 'Katie was devastated when she read what these poor women had to say about their experiences growing up. Now she's very frightened for her child.'inside scientology
'Suri's already being groomed as a potential celebrity face of Scientology, and so are Isabella and Conor. They've been told by church elders never to talk about their "classes", so I suppose she fears what goes on,' the family insider says.
Jenna Miscavige Hill, 24, revealed her parents became Scientologists when she was one. From the age of six to 12 she lived on a Scientology ranch where children worked long days doing physical tasks such as weeding gardens. And no matter how hot or how cold it was, the kids still worked.
At 12 she was moved to the church's mecca in Florida and refused access to her parents.
Another child Scientologist member, Astra Woodcraft, 29, revealed she had faced strict discipline and was 'held against a wall, screamed at and spat at'.
Katie was upset at what she read on the website and confronted Tom, 46, about it.A friend says: 'He tried to calm her down while reassuring her it was all lies dreamt up by a few disgruntled former members of the church.
'He pointed out Suri wouldn't be going to a Scientology school and instead would receive a first-rate education from his sisters. Tom was infuriated by the site and vowed to have his lawyers get it taken down.'
Baby number two
And Katie has more to worry about as Tom's told her he wants another baby, leaving Katie with a difficult choice.
After two years of bringing up Suri, she'd been hoping to give her career some much-needed attention and was thrilled to land a part in the Broadway revival of the Arthur Miller play All My Sons.
But Katie was stunned when Tom told her the play 'would be good for her to do before she concentrates on family again'.
He even suggested she rent a house with his sister Lee Anne and mother Mary Lee while she's working in New York.
'But another baby is the last thing Katie wants,' a friend says.
The problem is Katie's confided to her friends she's not ready for more children and wants to put her career first. Katie's parents Kathy and Martin have been concerned about Tom's demands too.
A pal says: 'They were furious. Tom needs to realise Katie's a talented actress who had great prospects before she met him.
'He told her to pull out of the new Batman movie, which is going to be the film of the year, and instead pushed her into Mad Money, which flopped.
'If he doesn't stop trying to dictate their marriage he might find himself watching another ex-wife collecting an Oscar.'
By Drew MacKenzie and Henry Meller
New Idea

Kidman splashes out for house in country

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Playing aristocratic cattle rancher Lady Sarah Ashley in the soon-to-be released film Australia has gone to Nicole Kidman's head, with reports the new mother has bought a $6.5 million property in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The Hollywood star, who this week gave birth to Sunday Rose, her first child with country singer Keith Urban , has bought a 45-hectare cattle stud in Sutton Forest that has as its centrepiece a Georgian mansion with wraparound verandahs and 10 marble fireplaces, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The 1878 two-storey residence is just the sort of place that Lady Sarah inherited in the storyline of the Baz Luhrmann-directed romance in which Kidman stars alongside Hugh Jackman, who plays the rugged cowboy that sweeps her off her feet.

Kidman, 41, recently sold her Sydney Harbour mansion but still has a massive harbourside apartment.

Friends of the couple say they are building a palatial family home in Nashville, Tennessee. They also recently bought a house in Los Angeles.

Pam and Jessica's T-shirt war!

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Don't you just love a good celebrity feud? The latest feud pits blonde bombshell against blonde bombshell: Pamela Anderson and Jessica Simpson are at war!

We all know that Pamela is an animal-lovin', vegetarian PETA activist... so she wasn't happy when Jessica appeared in public last month wearing a shirt which declared "Real girls eat meat".

Pamela lashed out on Australian radio the week before she was due to enter our Big Brother house. "I think [Jessica's] a bitch and a whore," she announced in her no-holds-barred style. "I don't know if she was talking about food or men." Meow!

And now Jessica's spitting chips... but refusing to respond to Pam's comments and give her any extra publicity. "She was deeply hurt and upset at the comments," a pal told UK rag The Sun. "To say Jessica is mad about it is an understatement."

Pam, bless her, remains firmly unapologetic: she told Big Brother hosts Kyle and Jackie O that she was just kidding and Jessica should know her sense of humour.

Do you support Team Pamela and think Jessica should quit sulking? Or do you support Team Jessica and think this feud is a case of the pot calling the kettle whore?

Mariah Carey kidnapped by hubby Nick

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Newly-married Mariah Carey must be lacking a little excitement in her life - when it comes to spicing up her marriage to younger man Nick Cannon, she resorts to kinky kidnapping fantasies.
When did this tomfoolery begin? Well, since always, of course. "When I was in an unhappy place in my life, I always wanted to be kidnapped," she told Elle magazine. "I just wanted a way out, but I didn't have one."

So when dashing Nick came on the scene, who was he to refuse the prospect of whipping away his cougariffic lady love for a romantic getwaway - I mean, kidnapping?

"He sort of kidnapped me and took me on a helicopter ride," gushed Mimi. "Then he re-proposed," she explained, as Nick had apparently already proposed a few days earlier (dammit he should have gone the kidnap angle the first time!)

"We really kept the whole relationship aspect of it quiet," she says. "I think we didn't want to give people a chance to be like, 'What are you doing? What are you talking about? This is so quick...are you sure?'"

Smart move, Mimi! We all know rushing into stuff and not listening to your friend's advice is a sure bet for marital bliss!

Tori Spelling's boobs get groped

What a cheeky monkey! Literally - Tori Spelling got a little more than a friendly cuddle from a furry fan at her son's birthday party.
She had hired some monkeys for the 'do, which mind you was little Liam's first birthday party (as if he's going to remember it!), and got the shock of her life when one of the monkeys copped a feel of her boob!

"I just got fondled by a monkey," she laughed.

Notorious for having one of the weirdest-looking boob jobs in celeb history, we wonder what it felt like! The event has now been immortalised forever as part of an episode of Tori's new show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.

The lavish party was monkey-themed: not only did Liam score real live monkeys for the party, he also got a big monkey birthday cake, a 55ft bouncing castle, a train, and celeb guests Denise Richards and Carmen Electra, who may or may not have been part of the theme.

Man, we wouldn't mind getting in on some of that action - maybe Tori can throw us a birthday party sometime?

Watch out Jen: John Mayer sleeps with groupies

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Jennifer Aniston better keep a tight grip on new man John Mayer - the baby-faced crooner has admitted to hooking up with groupies in the past, and we all know how good Jen is at picking the guys with wandering eyes!
A New York radio station quizzed John on whether he had ever hooked up with a fan after one of his shows, to which he gave a refreshingly frank answer: “I might have hooked up with people, but as soon as I hooked up, they weren’t fans anymore.”

“Do you respect me for my honesty? The answer is, yes, I have. But not in a really long time.”

So is Jen safe, or what? “I’m not trusting enough to open up to anyone I don’t really know anymore, which is good for my immune system,” he said.

And good for your physical health too - imagine the wrath of Courteney Cox-Arquette if John does the dirty on Jen!

Buffy headed to the big screen?

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Could Buffy be headed for the big screen?

That's the latest theory from Portfolio magazine, which speculates that the success of the "season eight" comic book - which continues the story of Buffy's characters after the events of the TV series - could spawn a big-screen outing for the vampire slayer.

Reuniting Buffy (played in the TV series by Sarah Michelle Gellar) with her friends Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon), the comic series has proven to be a best seller since in launched in 2007. Its initial 25-issue order has since been expanded to 40, and a shorter "ninth season" is also planned.

Buffy creator Joss Whedon - who also writes for the comic books - is no stranger to adapting his works to the silver screen: his failed TV series Firefly paved the way for the 2005 film Serenity.

Though adapting classic TV shows to movies is the latest hot trend in Hollywood - Sex and the City: The Movie set box office records, while rumours of a Friends film refuse to die - there is a huge obstacle standing in the way of a Buffy flick: Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The actress has expressed reservations about a Buffy film, telling Moviehole.net in 2007 that the thought of doing it "scares" her.

Axe finally falls on Big Brother

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AAP ©
It's time to go, Big Brother.

Network Ten has confirmed its often controversial reality TV program will be axed after eight years on the air.

The current series, which wraps up on July 21, will be the last.

In a statement issued on Monday, Ten's chief programming officer, David Mott, confirmed the speculation which emerged on a Big Brother-related internet website on Sunday.

"After eight successful seasons and 1,316 episodes, Ten today announced that Big Brother will not be returning in 2009," the Network Ten statement reads. "The 2008 season finale will air on Monday 21 July."

Mr Mott also said the series was "ending on a high" despite flagging viewer numbers, and persistent questions by fans over the selection of radio personalities Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O to compere the 2008 series.

They replaced Gretel Killeen, who had hosted the show since the first episode.

"Big Brother is the undisputed grand-daddy of modern, commercial reality television in Australia," Mr Mott said.

"Today's reality dramas have all, on some level, been inspired by Big Brother. We are immensely proud of the show and the incredible success it has enjoyed since premiering in 2001.

"We're ending the season on a high, largely thanks to the talents of Kyle and Jackie O, who have presented yet another successful season."

Sandilands and Jackie O had come under fire from hundreds of fans on Big Brother forums and websites, with many calling for Killeen to be reinstated.

Speculation of the show's axing started late Sunday on the internet website, Behind Big Brother.

"Our sources inside the Big Brother compound tell us the announcement was unexpected for the BB producers, who did what they felt was in the best interests of the show and believed this year would be a season benchmark," the website said.

"We have also been informed the Big Brother concept will return to Channel 10. However, this won't be seen until at least 2010. No word on whether this project is part of the Endemol Big Brother franchise."

In Big Brother, a group of people are locked inside a house and filmed 24 hours a day at Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast before being voted off week by week over about three months. The concept runs in a number of countries, starting in the Netherlands in 1999.

The ratings for Big Brother have dwindled this year, although the introduction last week of sex symbol Pamela Anderson gave it its best results of the season.

Fisher-Cohen wedding plans on hold

Isla Fisher is yet to convert to Sacha Baron Cohen's religion. (AAP)
By ninemsn staff
Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen have put their wedding plans on hold because the Aussie actress has been slow to adopt Judaism, a report claims.
Fisher and her Borat star fiance planned to marry by the end of next month but will wait until Fisher converts to the Jewish religion, UK newspaper the Daily Mail reports.
It is believed Fisher, 32, is taking longer than expected to learn the ways of the faith, which is practised strictly in Cohen's family.
The delay has reportedly angered Cohen's parents, especially mother Daniella, who was hoping for a summer wedding in the UK.
The husband-to-be is now believed to be playing the role of mediator between his wife and mother, a far cry from the prankster persona for which he has become famous.
Fisher and Cohen, 36, welcomed the birth of a daughter last year.
The former Home and Away star went back to work soon after the birth, a move said to be another sore point with her future mother-in-law.
Cohen made headlines earlier this week when he organised a homoerotic show in the US for a crowd of people who thought they were going to see a cage-fighting match.
The spectacle, which involved two men kissing and gyrating, was part of a stunt for his upcoming movie Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt.

Stripper arrested for subway pole dances

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) -

A stripper who danced on the poles of Santiago subway trains to challenge the prudishness of Chilean society was arrested on Thursday during one of her lightning performances.
Monserrat Morilles, 26, surprised subway riders all week stripping to skimpy underwear, but she refused tips.
She said she was protesting a lack of tolerance in Chile, one of Latin America's most conservative societies where the first generation since the Pinochet dictatorship is reaching adulthood.
"This is just a beginning. We are starting an idea here that will grow and be developed further," she told Reuters as police and subway guards surrounded her.
The professional pole dancer worked quickly all week to avoid arrest, getting on at one station, finding a subway car with no children on it and stripping in time to exit at the next station.
Chilean media dubbed her "La Diosa del Metro" or Subway Goddess. She called her performances "happy minutes."
"Chile is still a pretty timid country," said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. "People aren't very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country."
(Reporting by Pav Jordan; Editing by Anthony Boadle)

Tara Reid slashed by Freddie Kruger

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If you've ever seen Tara Reid's nip-slip pics you'll already know her life is pretty horrifying, but it might become even scarier if she lands a role in the upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street remake.

Apparently it's not enough that Tara is a victim of bad plastic surgery - some of her diehard fans have reportedly started an online petition to get her a part in the horror flick so she can become a victim of legendary baddie Freddie Kruger!

"She is a very talented and intelligent actor," says the petition, seemingly without a trace of irony. "We feel a major role in a major film will help revive her acting career. We feel she would be a truly great addition to the cast."

The most surprising part of this report isn't that Tara's fans want her to star in a flasher flick. The most surprising part is that Tara Reid has fans!

Hysterical, demanding Angelina due to pop on Tuesday

ninemsn
So Angelina Jolie is rumoured to be delivering her twin Messiahs via c-section on Tuesday, and has been in hospital for a while now in preparation - but no amount of prepping can stop this diva from giving hospital staff hell!
Apparently Ange has been a mega-bitch to the staff at the French hospital she's staying in, freaking out if nurses don't answer her bell straight away and stuff.

A source told InTouch that "She's starting to feel that the staff are starstruck and not attentive enough. She's throwing fits if she rings and they don't come quick enough."

She also demands things like salmon for dinner - even though the hospital don't have it on the menu. "I think she's in meltdown mode. She's been getting upset if there's not enough ice in her glass," said the source.

Chill out, Ange! Isn't stress bad for unborn babies?

Big Brother welcomes 75-year-old housemate

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US network CBS has announced that one of the housemates in its upcoming season of Big Brother will be 75-year-old great grandfather and former Marine Jerry - a contestant almost 25 years older than Terri, the oldest ever Australian housemate.

Jerry is more than 50 years older than the youngest contestant in the US series, 22-year-old bodybuilder Jessie.

The US Big Brother traditionally uses gimmicks to pique audience attention: past seasons have features housemates who are couples, housemates who are former couples, and housemates who are long-lost enemies.

However, the next season - the 10th - will take a "back-to-basics" approach with no stunts. "We are going old-school and returning to the original [Big Brother] concept," said executive producer Allison Grodner, who added that the housemates are "the most diverse group ever".

They include a 53-year-old beautician, a 35-year-old rodeo champ and a 25-year-old "mixologist".

And while the Australian Big Brother house is known for its bright colours and ultra-modern furniture, the new US house has the "traditional look" of an all-American home - complete with a 50's-themed kitchen and '60s-themed bedroom.

McLeod's returns to the small screen

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If you've been anxiously awaiting the return of McLeod's Daughters, clear a space in your diary on Wednesday, June 26: the Nine Network has announced that's the date the much-loved rural drama is coming back to the small screen for its eighth and final season.

"For everyone who loves McLeod's Daughters, lots of treats await in this final series," said series creator and executive producer Posie Graeme-Evans in a statement. "It's been a great ride and we're thrilled it is going out on a high."

Graeme-Evans didn't say exactly what those highs were, but Nine did give away that the season will open with the revelation that someone has gone missing in the aftermath of the terrifying car accident which happened at the close of season seven.

Series regulars Simmone Jade Mackinnon, Aaron Jeffery, Abi Tucker, Dustin Clare, Gillian Alexy and Luke Jacobz will be back, along with new faces including Martin Lynes (All Saints) and Alex Cook (Love My Way).

Conceived following the success of a 1996 telemovie of the same name, McLeod's Daughters chronicles the lives and loves of the women working at the stunning rural property Drovers Run.

Kidman and Urban smitten with Sunday

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The Australian celebrity couple have spoken about the love they have for their daughter, who was born on Monday at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
"We feel immensely blessed and grateful to be given this beautiful baby girl," Kidman and Urban said in a statement released to US magazine, People.
The magazine has devoted its cover to Oscar winner Kidman and multiple Grammy owner Urban.
It appears the couple enjoy the early morning wake-up calls of their newborn.
"She's an absolute delight," they told People.
Kidman and Urban are reportedly planning a trip back to Australia later this month to show off Sunday to Kidman's father, Antony, who stayed behind in Sydney, and Urban's family, who largely reside in Queensland.
Kidman's mother, Janelle, and sister Antonia, were in Nashville for the birth.
The couple is spending the first few weeks with Sunday at their home in a gated community in Nashville.
Kidman, 41, in interviews has repeatedly spoken about her desire to give birth.
The actress and her ex-husband Tom Cruise adopted children, Isabella, 15, and Connor, 13.

Cox checks into Scrubs

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After a two-season stint on the black comedy Dirt, actress Courteney Cox is returning to the genre she knows best: the sitcom.

According to Entertainment Weekly scribe Michael Ausiello, Cox is checking into hospital comedy Scrubs in its upcoming eighth season. Ausiello reports that Cox will appear in a three-episode story arc, playing the new Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital.

But how will Scrubs doctors JD (Zach Braff), Elliot (Sarah Chalke) and the cranky Perry (John C. McGinley) Cox take to Cox's as-yet-unnamed character? Not too well, apparently: an insider revealed that she'll "ruffle feathers".

Spoiler alert: Cox's character will take over from Scrubs' former Chief of Medicine Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins), the cold-hearted doctor who steps down from the top job at the end of season seven. Bill Lawrence reportedly wanted a big-name actor to play Kelso's replacement, and it seems he's found such a star in Cox.

Cox became a household name playing neat freak Monica Gellar in Friends for 10 seasons. She later starred in tabloid-themed dramedy Dirt, which was unexpectedly cancelled earlier in 2008.

Brinkley settles $A2.18m in divorce

AAP ©

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After a salacious and widely reported trial former supermodel Christie Brinkley has reached a divorce settlement with her soon to be ex-husband Peter Cook, the New York Daily News has reported.
Under the terms of the agreement Cook will get $US2.1 million ($A2.18 million) while Brinkley, 54, gets sole custody of the couple's two children and keeps all the couple's real estate.
The settlement was reached early Thursday after eight days of scandalous court testimony which detailed the internet porn addiction of Cook, and his torrid affair with a 19-year-old employee to whom he paid $US300,000 ($A312,142) in hush money.

Norman's ex claims $US100m divorce

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Greg Norman's ex-wife has scored a $US100 million hole in one in her divorce settlement with the former world number one golfer.
In court documents made public on Thursday, Laura Andrassy will walk away from her 25 year marriage with $US103 million in cash and assets, including a $US50 million one-off payment, $US500,000 in jewellery, a Range Rover vehicle and personal items, such as four paintings of dogs and Christmas decorations.
The divorce deal also guarantees the couple's children, Morgan-Leigh, 24, and Gregory, 20, will receive Norman's prized gold trophies and $US103 million in cash when he dies.
The agreement brings an end to what had become one of the ugliest celebrity divorce battles in recent years, with Norman already moving on emotionally.
He married 1980s US tennis glamour girl Chris Evert in a high-security beach resort wedding in The Bahamas last month.
The details of the divorce settlement were contained in a three page document signed on Thursday by Florida's Martin County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger.
Under the approved deal, Andrassy will receive a $US50 million payment along with $US30.2 million to be distributed over the next 15 years.
The former flight attendant will also pocket $US17.5 million from the sale of the couple's beloved Jupiter Island mansion in Florida, ironically named Tranquility. The house was a sore point in the divorce fight.
Andrassy will also receive $US4 million from the sale of a home in Florida's Palm Beach, $US466,000 from a retirement account, $US500,000 in jewellery and the Range Rover she currently drives.
Among other less expensive items, but of high personal value, that Andrassy will receive include pieces the former couple collected at their lodge in Colorado.
These items include Christmas decorations, a grandfather clock, china and silver, a French antique mirror, bedroom furniture, and four paintings of dogs.
Norman has amassed what has been estimated a half a billion dollar empire from not only his golf earnings and sponsorships, but also investments in his wine, real estate and golf design businesses.
The divorce became bitter and personal last year when Norman's lawyers came out swinging, particularly in one petition filed in court.
It dismissed Andrassy's input into his success on the golf course.
"The wife did not teach the husband to swing a golf club," Norman's petition stated.
"The wife did not teach the husband to win.
"All of those teachings were the product of diligent hard work by the husband prior to this marriage."

Newton-John and new love marry in Peru

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Olivia Newton-John and her new love, American health guru John Easterling, have married in a secret Incan spiritual ceremony on a picturesque mountain top in Peru.
The couple had a second wedding on Florida's millionaire's paradise, Jupiter's Island, nine days later to make the nuptials legal.
The lovebirds managed to keep both weddings secret until a barbecue held last weekend at Newton-John's Malibu mansion billed as a simple 4th of July party.
They surprised the gathering with their wedding news.
The details of the South American ceremony and follow-up US wedding were revealed in an emotionless statement released on Newton-John's website.
"Newton-John and Easterling exchanged their vows in a private ceremony in Peru, South America, followed by a ceremony on Jupiter Island, Florida, the following week," the statement read.
"This is a second marriage for both Newton-John and Easterling.
"Family and friends were told about the nuptials at a barbecue on July 4, 2008, in a private celebration at the singer's home in Malibu, California."
It appears Newton-John and Easterling sold the rights to their secret weddings to the big-paying UK magazine Hello!
It is the same magazine that snapped up the rights to Greg Norman's recent wedding to US tennis star Chris Evert in The Bahamas.
"He's made me the happiest woman in the world," Newton-John told Hello!
Newton-John, 59, and Easterling, the 49-year-old millionaire chief executive of herbal wellness company, Amazon Herb Company, met 15 years ago through mutual friends, but they only started dating a year ago.
Easterling is known as "Amazon John" for his adventurous spirit and love of the Amazon region.
Friends say the couple, with a love of the outdoors, meditation and herbal remedies, are a perfect match.
The wedding ceremony in Peru took place on June 21 and the Florida nuptials were performed on June 30.
Newton-John's relationship with Easterling blossomed as she overcame the latest chapter of tragedy in a life that has had extreme highs and heart-breaking and near fatal lows.
"Our relationship was born out of our mutual love of healing," Easterling said.
"We were simply made for each other."
Hello! trumpets its exclusive on its website, enticing readers to buy a copy of next week's magazine.
"Next week's issue of HELLO! magazine contains full coverage of the secret nuptials between the Grease star and health guru John Easterling," the magazine's blurb says.
"Pick up your copy ... to see the stunning photos and read the full story of their romance".
Newton-John is one of the world's most loved entertainers.
Fans have been entranced by her music and film career, that includes four Grammy Awards, five number one hits in the US and the film musical Grease, that has become a classic of the genre.
But, with the success, Newton-John has also been dogged by tragedy.
In 1992, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, in 1995 she divorced husband Matt Lattanzi and in 2005, her boyfriend Patrick McDermott went missing during a fishing expedition off Los Angeles.
He has not been found.
Newton-John's 22-year-old daughter, Chloe, has also had a highly-public battle with anorexia.

Pamela Anderson on Big Brother

Picture: Ten news

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Big Brother: Brigette reveals all about that "sex tape"

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Bad luck for Brigette: she was evicted from the Big Brother house just days after finally embarking on a relationship with fellow housemate Cherry and just minutes before blonde superstar Pamela Anderson entered!

What did you think of Brigette's eviction? Have your say at Alternate Reality.

Speaking to TVFIX after her eviction, Brigette - who came across as a spoiled brat - reveals that she's even worse in real life, as well as telling all about her fling with Cherry and the rude things she would've said to Pamela.

And of course it wouldn't be a very juicy interview if we didn't ask her about those sex tape rumours...

How are you since your eviction?

I'm very tired. And I'm being overflowed with questions and everything.

I'm afraid I'm going to overflow you a little more - I hope that's okay!

Yep!

Are you dirty that you left the house just as Pamela Anderson went in?

Yeah - it was a little bit annoying! That would've been so much fun. So random and fun. But you can't have everything.

What do you think you would've asked her?

I don't know - I don't really know much about her. Maybe "Why do your marriages turn out so crap?"

Maybe you could've exchanged tips on how to get your hair really blonde.

"How do you make your legs look so good when you're that age?"

Another badly-timed thing about your eviction was that you'd just hooked up with Cherry. How does that make you feel?

Hooking up made my last week fun. It was just a bit of fun in the house and not... I don't have any hard feelings about it. I'm glad it happened.

Will you see him again after the show is finished?

I'll obviously see him at the finale. But after that... I don't know. We do live in different parts of the country. So... we'll just take it as it comes. Nothing serious.

Speaking of boys, there's something I have to ask you - this is a bit of a sensitive subject.

[Groans] I'm sure I've been asked about it all day.

I'm sure you have but I'm going to make you answer it one more time: I want to ask about Eric, who popped up on your eviction episode. I've heard a rumour he has some sort of sex tape with you in it. What's going on?

Okay, I'll tell you the story. He... how do I word this? We were never going out. I made it clear to the housemates that he was not, is not, and will never be my boyfriend. On the day I left for the house he told me that if I embarrassed him by hooking up with any of the guys in the house, then he would embarrass me by releasing this tape. Which I didn't know had been made, and I still don't know if it's real or not.

You've never seen it.

Never seen it, didn't know that it was made. So it could be made up - it could just be him trying to threaten me.

You're saying he's being a bit sneaky.

A bit sneaky, yep. So I was kind of... I don't know if you noticed, I'm pretty sure the whole country noticed, but I was being a bit of a, um, a cow to the other guys in the house.

I may have noticed.

[Laughs] Whenever they got a bit too close I thought it would be perceived as something that it's not. Which would result in a video being shown. So I'd have a bit of a go at them, and I wasn't really friends with any of the guys in the house in the first six weeks. That made my time bad - it was shitty that it was like that, that that's what was ruining my time in the house.

You didn't want to tell the other housemates?

I didn't want to tell anyone else my reason for it, because I just didn't want everyone to know. It's not something you want to tell everyone, that there's a sex tape. But I decided to tell Ben and Bianca about six weeks into the show, during a game of "snaps" - which is our little game where you figure out words. And they understood straight away why I was being why I had been. I told them not to tell everyone and obviously they went and told everyone! But it turned out to be good, because everyone helped me through it. They thought about it with me and said he probably doesn't have a tape, and said he's making it up, and even if he does have a tape it's illegal, to do with without you knowing, and he'll get in a lot of trouble.

So what did you do in the house after that?

During the last four weeks in the house I just decided to forget about it. If there is a tape, there is; if there's not, there's not. I can handle it when I get out.

Once that was off your chest, did you become a lot closer to the other housemates?

Yeah. I did. I was so happy that I could just talk to Ben and Rory. I really like them. I was so happy I could just talk to them, muck around with them like friends do, and not have to keep my distance and worry about not being in the spa when they are, and stupid rules like that. Ridiculous things were wrecking my time in the house. But I got over that and everything turned out okay... until I came out of the house and there was all this mess.

How are you going to handle it?

I'm just brushing it off. I did nothing wrong, and I enjoyed my last couple of weeks in the house. That's all that matters.

It's interesting you say you were holding back, because some housemates who've left the house have said they thought you were playing a character.

I wasn't playing a character - I was just being a lesser version of myself. I was being myself, I wasn't being someone else, but there were certain things I had to hold back from because I didn't want some tape suddenly surfacing on everyone's computers.

Does that mean that in the real world you chuck a lot of tantrums and play a lot of mean pranks?

Yeah, that's me. I'm a prankster, tantrum-throwing crybaby. I say what I think.

How did you feel watching the clip show during your eviction of you chucking all these tantrums?

I thought it was funny! I didn't know they would go so close up to my face when I had tears and make-up smudged everywhere.

You did threaten to leave the house several times - are you relieved you never did?

Yeah. I'm so happy I didn't. Because after I figured out that I didn't need to not talk to everyone in the house, I started having a really good time.

Since your eviction you've of course been allowed to give a hand grenade - you gave yours to Rory, who can now only eat staples. It must've been good to give a hand grenade instead of receiving them.

It was! And it was the perfect one to give to Rory, who's always going on about his stupid food. He actually said that the worst hand grenade for him would be to constantly eat crappy staples. And that's what he got!

And you gave your share of the prize money to Alice. Why Alice?

I picked Al because she was my closest friend in the house. She taught me the most. And even though it really doesn't make a different who I give that money to - because in the end only one person is going to win it - I felt like Al deserved it from me.

Did you expect to be evicted, or was it a shock?

It was a surprise. But mostly because it was a snap eviction.

When did you find out about the snap eviction in the house?

Yesterday Big Brother told Cherry to tell us all to get ready for a celebrity-themed dinner. He got us all dressed up and told us to sit on the couch and your party will start in 10 minutes. We all sat down waiting for this party, and then along comes a snap eviction. I didn't want to believe that I was going but I just had a feeling that I was. And I did.

Who do you want to win?

I would really like it if Terri won. I think she will.

I think she will too.

She deserves it.

You had a funny relationship with Terri during your time in the house, yes?

I think it was perceived that we didn't like each other. But we did. We got along really well - we had a mother-daughter sort of relationship. I'm really glad that she was there the whole time I was. She's a great person and she deserves the money.

Big Brother task was 'mental torture'

By Katherine Field

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Big Brother evictee Bianca Benigno has described one of the tasks on the reality TV show as "mental torture".
Benigno from Queensland, who was evicted from the Network Ten series on Sunday night, says she's still upset that contestants were tricked into thinking there was a "mole" in the house, and told they must find out who it was.
"I cannot see the benefit for us for doing that task, it completely mentally tortured us for three days," Benigno said on Monday.
"It was so hard to question your own character and it was just the most dreadful feeling and to find out it was all a joke, it was really, really hurtful."
The fiery 18-year-old was outraged when she found out they had been tricked and threw over a clothes horse.
"I don't regret the emotion that I felt because I don't like liars and I don't like people deceiving me," Benigno said.
"But I do regret that I didn't think about it logically, and think why is Rima doing this - it's the obligations that she has to the show, and maybe she didn't anticipate that we would get that emotional.
"But that's the mystery, that's what you sign up for."
One of the most vocal contestants in this year's series, Benigno frequently got into fights with other housemates but said she was now a changed girl, and respected her generation more.
Benigno also spoke of her relationship with Ben, saying she was upset that people think she was trying to force another housemate to cuddle or "spoon" her at night, insisting that it was all a joke.
"A few people have been asking me this morning (and saying) you were so forceful, you made it look like you were forcing the poor boy in to it, like it was sexual harassment," Benigno said.
"Seriously it was the biggest joke in there.
"It was done because Ben's so dry and sarcastic and he gives it to everyone in there, but we always find it hard to give it back to him so it was something we could go, ha ha ha, Mr Awkward Spooner.
"It was just funny, it wasn't like let's spoon because I really want to touch you, Ben."
© AAP 2008

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs in rehab

The West Australian

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs has entered rehab.
"Marc made the right decision," Jacobs' longtime business partner Robert Duffy told Women's Wear Daily, which reported the story on its website on Monday.
Jacobs had previously acknowledged in interviews that he abused drugs and alcohol.
"He'd been sober for seven years. When he relapsed, he wanted to deal with it right away," Duffy said to the industry newspaper.
"According to the experts, such a relapse isn't uncommon. Thankfully, Marc recognised the problem himself and chose to deal with it. Obviously, our prayers are with him."
The confirmation that Jacobs was at a treatment facility came on the day that Jacobs received two nominations from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for its upcoming awards. He was nominated in the womenswear and accessories categories.
And those honours were on the heels of three well-received previews of fall collections - one for his namesake brand in New York, one for the younger - and less expensive - Marc by Marc Jacobs label in London, and one in Paris for Louis Vuitton, owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.
Jacobs is known as a bellwether for upcoming trends. In New York, his fashion shows are always packed with celebrities, with music stars Rod Stewart, Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, Harry Connick Jr and Debbie Harry most recently lining the runway.
They saw clothes that were long and lean clothes, with a 1920s influence, almost guaranteeing a shift in fashion later this year to a slimmer silhouette.AP

Kidman's baby 'named after Sunday Reed'

The mystery of Nicole Kidman's name choice for her daughter has reportedly been solved.
Kidman's father says the name "Sunday Rose" was inspired by an Australian arts patron notorious for her lurid love life.
Antony Kidman said the unusual name chosen by Kidman and her husband, country music star Keith Urban , was first suggested by him and his wife, who drew inspiration from prominent Australian arts patron Sunday Reed.
"I have read a bit about Sunday Reed and her husband John," Mr Kidman told the Daily Telegraph.
"She was a key mover and shaker in the arts around the beginning of the century. The name Sunday struck me as being a nice name for a woman, so my wife and I mentioned it."
Sunday Reed lived for nine years during the 1930s in a three-way love triangle relationship involving her arts patron husband and one of Australia's best-known artists, Sidney Nolan. She eventually became Nolan's muse.
Sunday Reed was also niece of one of Australia's richest men and Nolan painted his Ned Kelly series, several of which hang in the Australian National Gallery, in her living room.
Reed committed suicide 10 days after the death of her husband in 1981.
The Telegraph said Nicole Kidman and Urban had spent a long time looking at a quote by Nolan about birth, hanging in a Sydney art gallery, shortly before announcing Kidman's pregnancy in January 2008.
"When you are young you are given a good view of life, because of your closeness to birth," Nolan wrote.
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, Kidman's first biological child, was born on Monday and weighed 2.93 kilograms.
Kidman and former spouse Tom Cruise adopted two children during nearly 10 years of marriage that ended in divorce in 2001.
- *Reuters*

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Posh poses nude for designer Marc Jacobs

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VICTORIA Beckham has posed nude for fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and put her name behind his campaign to warn people about the dangers of skin cancer.
Posh appears naked on a T-shirt which has also been signed by her according to The Sun newspaper.
The T-shirt will be on sale in Marc Jacobs' shops from next week.
Beckham said her decision to get behind the campaign comes after she and hubby David moved to sunny California.
"Since we moved to California I have realised how important it is to practise safe sun for myself and to keep my three boys skin well protected as well.
"Skin cancer is a huge problem and I really wanted to help raise awareness by taking part in Marcs initiative."
Beckham's latest contribution to fashion comes after Australian supermodel Jennifer Hawkins recently joined a swag of Australian designers who backed marie claire magazine's SunSmart campaign.
The campaign was apart of the mag's 150th birthday issue.

Posh and Becks: The Musical!

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As if this isn't going to be craptastically awesome - a Posh n' Becks musical is set to open in Ireland.

Yes, a musical based on the glamorous lives of Victoria and David Beckham.
It will be satirical, as anything involving the pair usually is (seen their reality show, anyone?) and will be titled MacBecks, to be loosely based on Shakespeare's Macbeth.
The musical will follow the story of a footballer who gives up his career for his ambitious wife - Becks quit soccer for Posh?

Yeah, we could see that happen, actually.

As long as the money kept rolling in!
Supporting roles in this trashy tale will include David's former PA Rebecca Loos - aka the homewrecker that nearly shattered their fairytale marriage!
The musical opens in Dublin this coming January.

Madonna denies affair, divorce rumours

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Pop star Madonna has denied having an affair with Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, saying in a statement to People magazine she is not planning to get divorced from her British husband Guy Ritchie.
Rumours that the London-based couple planned to split have been circulating for months, fuelled most recently by reports that she had hired a lawyer to divorce filmmaker Ritchie.
"My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce," the singer told People.
"I brought my kids to a Yankee game. I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez. I have nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study," she said.
People magazine reported Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia, had left the Yankee baseball star over the alleged affair with Madonna, citing sources close to the situation.
The speculation about Madonna's marriage reached fever pitch in the last two weeks in London, where the Daily Mirror newspaper dedicated two front pages to the plight of the couple's relationship.
Madonna, 49, and Ritchie, 39, married in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in northeast Scotland. They met at a party hosted by ex-Police frontman Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler.
Their son, Rocco, was several months old on their wedding day, and in 2006 Madonna applied to adopt David Banda, a boy from Malawi whose mother had died shortly after his birth. The adoption was approved by a Malawian court in May.
Madonna also has a daughter, Lourdes, from an earlier relationship. She was married once before, to Hollywood actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.
Madonna is one of the most successful rock stars of all time, with global album sales estimated at more than 200 million copies. A multi-Grammy award winner, she was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in March.
Ritchie is best known for his movies, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), but he has come in for critical maulings since then, most notably when he directed Madonna in Swept Away (2002).
Madonna brushed off the rumours as media fabrication.
"I have learned over the years not to take accusations and the many false reports about me very seriously," she told People.
"Fiction and fact seem to be perceived as one and the same by people who read both newspapers and the internet."
Media reports later said that the wife of Rodriguez was planning to immediately file for divorce.
Cynthia Rodriguez, who married the New York Yankees star in 2002, says the marriage is over because of his extramarital affairs, according Miami news reports on Sunday.
Lawyer Earle Lilly, who said he was hired by Cynthia Rodriguez last week to launch the divorce case, told Houston TV station KTRK that the player's "relationship with Madonna was the final straw" for his client.
Another of her lawyers, Maurice Kutner, told The Miami Herald: "She feels that she has exhausted every opportunity to salvage the marriage, and that Alex has emotionally abandoned her and the (two) children and has left her with no choice but to divorce him."
The suit was expected to be filed immediately in Dade County Family Court, but as of Sunday the court's website did not list any divorce filing involving Cynthia Rodriguez.
Alex Rodriguez has refused to comment.