Celebrities
HILTON DENIES MADDEN ENGAGEMENT
PARIS HILTON has denied she has secretly become engaged to rocker BENJI MADDEN. The socialite fuelled rumours of impending nuptials after she was spotted wearing a two-banded diamond ring on her wedding finger. Hilton's on/off best friend Nicole Richie is reportedly set to wed Madden's twin brother Joel this summer (08), after the birth of their daughter Harlow in January (08). And since the hotel heiress has been romantically involved with Benji, the couple has been dogged by rumours they are to follow suit and tie the knot. But Hilton insists that although the pair has talked about marriage - she denies the ring means they are set to wed. She tells People.com, "No, it's just a present. He's sweet. "We want to stay together forever. I wouldn't do a Vegas (wedding). I don't know where or when but I do want it to be romantic."
AGUILERA POISED TO LAUNCH NEW PERFUME
Pop star CHRISTINA AGUILERA has announced plans to launch another addition to her perfume range later this year (08). The singer has taken time off from her music career since she gave birth to her first child, Max, in January (08) - and has instead spent her time as a new mother working on her third scent. Aguilera's two previous fragrances, Xpose and Simply Christina, have both garnered international success and the new scent, Inspire, is due to hit shops in the autumn (08).
PINK DENIES DATING PIVEN
Representatives for pop star PINK and ENTOURAGE actor JEREMY PIVEN have denied the pair are dating. The Stupid Girls hitmaker split from husband Carey Hart in February (08), two years after marrying in January 2006. She has since been linked with Juliette And The Licks guitarist Todd Morse. Pink and Piven were spotted enjoying a night out at a New York club on Tuesday (06May08) and reportedly got up close and personal on the dancefloor - sparking rumours of a romance. Representatives for both stars confirmed they were both at the Green Door Club, but denied they are a couple. Piven's spokesman tells New York gossip column PageSix, "He was there but didn't hang out with Pink. Jeremy says she is a friend, a good woman." While Pink's representative adds, "She was not with Jeremy Piven, dancing or otherwise."
FOXY BROWN PLEADS GUILTY, AVOIDS SECOND PRISON TERM
Rapper FOXY BROWN has successfully avoided another stint in prison - after pleading guilty to attacking a woman with her Blackberry cell phone. The star - real name Inga Marchand - was jailed in September last year (07) for violating her probation stemming from a 2006 assault conviction for assaulting two manicurists in 2004. Marchand was sentenced to three years probation as a result. Marchand was accused of bruising the eye and causing damage to the teeth of her Brooklyn, New York neighbour Arlene Raymond when she attacked her with her mobile communication device last July (07). Brown was subsequently charged with felony assault, menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon when she turned herself into police. She was released on bail and pleaded not guilty to the counts in October (07). But she changed her plea to guilty during a court appearance on Thursday (08May08) - and by doing so, the rapper avoided the case going to trial, which could have seen her put behind bars for a maximum of seven years. In a hand-written note, Marchand says, "I apologize for the incident that occurred on July 31, 2007, in that I attempted to scare Arlene Raymond and place her in harm's way." Last month (Apr08), the star was released from New York's Riker's Island Prison after serving eight months of the one-year sentence for violating her parole stemming from the nail salon incident.
COMBS SHOCKED BY BIGGIE BIOPIC CAST'S LIKENESS
Rap mogul SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS has lavished praise on the cast of the upcoming NOTORIOUS B.I.G. biopic, because the actors bear an uncanny resemblance to the hip-hop stars they portray on screen. The film, Notorious, tells the story of the late rapper's rise to stardom in the mid-1990s, and features portrayals of stars like Lil' Kim, Tupac Shakur, and Combs himself. And, after a visit to the movie's set, the 38-year-old came away especially impressed by actor Derek Luke, who has been cast as Diddy. He tells MTV.com, "It's rare that you get a movie made about you when you're still relevant, but (they) took on the challenge. "People asked me years ago who you'd want to play me, and I said Derek Luke... So it was just destined. I got to see him do his thing, and it was scary for me. I had to leave, 'cause he was acting just like me." But Combs reserved his highest praise for Jamal 'Gravy' Woolard, a young rapper who has landed the lead role. He adds, "Gravy, the guy playing B.I.G., it was just too eerie for me to be on that. Gravy's killing it. If I tell you he's killing it, then that's all we need to say, you know what I'm saying? I don't think anybody could have done a better job." Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, was gunned down after a Vibe magazine party in Los Angeles in 1997.
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