Did Michael Jackson name daughter after Paris Hilton?; Amy Winehouse cleared of assault charges; Katie Holmes talks 'Dance' appearance
Jackson named daughter after Paris Hilton?
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Michael Jackson named his daughter Paris after Paris Hilton, according to the socialite herself.
The star claims Jackson was close friends with her mother Kathy, and asked her permission to use the name when his 11-year-old daughter was born.
Hilton tells "Extra," "My mom and Michael went to high school together and they were best friends since they were 13.
"So I grew up knowing Michael very well and when he had his daughter, he always loved the name Paris and grew up being an uncle to me. So he asked my mom if it was OK and of course she said yes and I think she's such a beautiful little girl and I'm proud we have the same name."
Winehouse cleared of assault
AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Amy Winehouse walked free from court on Friday after she was cleared of assaulting a fan at a charity ball in London last year.
The singer was accused of lashing out at dancer Sherene Flash and punching her in the face after an argument over a photograph.
London's City of Westminster Magistrates Court heard Flash had approached Winehouse at the charity event last September and asked if she would pose for a picture.
But as Flash lined up next to the singer, she alleged Winehouse struck her above the right eye.
Flash told she court she was left "crying and shocked" after the incident.
But Winehouse was cleared of one charge of assault after insisting she had merely pushed Flash away because she was "scared."
Earlier the singer's lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, told the court, "The main injury here was probably to Miss Flash's pride."
Holmes: 'Garland tribute was fun'
AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker
Katie Holmes jumped at the opportunity to appear on the 100th anniversary episode of reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" because she rarely gets the chance to show off her fancy footwork.
The actress pays homage to screen icon Judy Garland on the special show, which aired on Thursday, performing a routine inspired by Garland's "Get Happy" song from the movie "Summer Stock" and donning replicas of the late star's trademark jacket and hat for the sequence.
The actress tells "Entertainment Tonight," "I like to sing and dance, so it is really fun."
Holmes has previously showed off her dance skills in ABC's "Eli Stone" when she appeared on the TV show last year.
Did you watch Holmes on the show? What did you think?
Perry lights up New York City
AP Photo/Richard Drew
Katy Perry brought a burst of color to a gloomy New York City on Friday morning, dazzling fans with a spectacular free show.
The singer slipped into a wacky dress decorated with huge fluffy dice to perform a string of her hits live on "The Today Show."
Explaining her costume, the singer told viewers, "I'm a real sucker for a theme. Every day is Halloween for me."
She also revealed to host Matt Lauer she would have been a stylist if she hadn't made it as a singer, adding: "I enjoy so much creating something that will make someone smile when I walk by. You can say so much without saying anything at all."
Stars dance at Houston's listening party
AP Photo/Frank Micelotta - Sony Music
Whitney Houston's Los Angeles album party on Thursday turned into a star-studded dance party after Halle Berry, Jane Fonda and Stevie Wonder turned up to groove to the music.
The singer invited a handful of A-listers and leading music journalists to the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills to listen to "I Look To You," her first album in seven years.
The guests in attendance appeared to love the new music -- Berry, Wonder and Fonda were all spotted moving and shaking as the CD played.
As the last track finished, the comeback queen walked onstage to a standing ovation, before Wonder and Fonda joined her and gave her a hug.
Houston proceeded to acknowledge all of the stars present, asking Berry how her little girl, Nahla, was and telling the audience she "almost croaked" upon learning Fonda had turned up.
She added, "I am so humbled and so thankful for you all for coming. There is so much love in the room and I thank you and I feel it."
Stars also attended similar listening parties recently in London and New York.
Federer is a dad
AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File
Tennis superstar Roger Federer is a dad -- his wife, Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec, has given birth to twins.
The current tennis world number one and Vavrinec, a former tennis player, welcomed baby daughters Charlene Riva and Myla Rose on Thursday in Switzerland.
Federer announced the happy news on his official Web site, writing, "This is the greatest day of our lives. Mirka, Myla and Charlene are all healthy and doing very well."
The new parents -- who married in April -- have been dating since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where they both represented Switzerland.
Law facing legal action over snapper attack
British actor Jude Law is facing legal action from a female photographer he allegedly hit during a night out in London.
The star was surrounded by snappers as he exited Automat nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning and was pictured lashing out as he tried to get to his car.
Law, 36, was accused of hitting Harsha Gopal on the head and slapping her in the face as she tried to take his picture.
He has since denied the accusations. A statement from his lawyer, Graham Shear, reads, "This is all nonsense. Last night's incident was an accident. Jude was blinded by the camera flashes when he left the restaurant, raised his hand to shield himself and inadvertently struck somebody standing very close. He apologized and left. Pictures of this sort can often be misleading."
But Gopal visited Charing Cross police station on Thursday night to report the incident.
She told The London Paper, "I felt his hand come across my face. ... There was a massive thud and my face is still stinging."
A police spokesman says, "On the evening of Thursday, July 23, a 28-year-old woman attended a central London police station to make an allegation of common assault.
"The woman alleges that she was assaulted by a man, aged in his 30s, earlier on July 23. Westminster officers are investigating the allegation."
The actor came face to face with Gopal again on Thursday night, as she snapped him leaving London's Wyndham Theatre, where he was booed by onlookers berating him over the incident and demanding he apologize.
Law was previously accused of assaulting a paparazzi photographer in 2007 -- he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after attempting to grab a camera outside his London home. He was later released without charge.
Crawford 'needed space' from Westwick
Photo by Diane Bondareff for Nintendo
In this photo provided by Nintendo, Nintendo of America's vice president of Corporate Affairs, Denise Kaigler, right, competes against actor Chace Crawford in a match of swordplay at the Wii Sports Resort launch event, Thursday, July 23, 2009, in New York. To commemorate the next chapter in the Wii Sports experience, Nintendo brought in 50 tons of sand to transform Manhattan's famed Military Island into Wuhu Island, the fictional setting featured in the game.
Chace Crawford moved out of the house he shared with his "Gossip Girl" co-star Ed Westwick because he was desperate for more privacy.
The actors have lived in the same apartment in New York's Chelsea district ever since they relocated to Manhattan to film the TV series in 2007.
But 24-year-old Crawford decided to move out earlier this month after feeling crowded, leaving his British pal to turn the apartment into his own bachelor pad.
Crawford tells People.com, "I needed my own space. It's a little bit secluded and I like that. ... I have my own privacy."
And he has already fallen in love with his new home -- because it's near his favorite restaurant chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill.
He adds, "I found a nice Chipotle in the neighborhood and that's all I need. I need my Chipotle and my little coffee maker and I'm good."
Paltrow shows fans how to cook
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has taken to the Internet to share her culinary skills with fans -- she has posted a video of her cooking up one of her favorite recipes.
The "Iron Man" star recently showed off her kitchen skills in a TV series called "Spain: On the Road Again," which documented her travels across the country with chef pal Mario Batali.
She is also set to cook up all her favorite dishes in her own recipe book, set for release next year.
But the star couldn't wait to share her tastiest treats with fans, so she has filmed herself whipping up some culinary masterpieces for her Goop.com Web site.
Paltrow is seen deboning a chicken to make a roast dinner, served with potatoes and salad, in the seven-minute video.
She also gushes about her dedication to the kitchen, explaining, "Over the years, it's become a major passion. I think about cooking all the time. It's what I lie in bed thinking about at night, which is maybe a problem!"
Richie plans to name baby after Jacko?
Nicole Richie is reportedly planning to pay tribute to her late godfather Michael Jackson by naming her unborn child after him.
The adopted daughter of pop legend Lionel Richie remained close to the King of Pop until he died of a cardiac arrest last month.
Friends of the star claim she's determined to mark his death by giving her second child his name -- Michael for a boy and Michelle for a girl.
A source tells Star magazine, "Nicole is devastated by Michael's death. She loved him and it happened so suddenly. She wasn't planning on naming the baby after him, but she thinks it's fitting now that he's gone."
Richie is due to give birth to her second child with partner Joel Madden in the fall. The pair has a 1-year-old daughter, Harlow.
Depp makes surprise appearance at Comic-Con
Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images
Johnny Depp whipped fans into a frenzy after making a surprise appearance at the Comic-Con International in California on Thursday.
Director Tim Burton was speaking to an audience about his upcoming "Alice In Wonderland" movie at the Comic-Con International event at the San Diego Convention Center when he asked if they'd like to meet the "imaginary friend" who follows him around.
Depp, who plays the Mad Hatter in the upcoming fantasy film, then walked on stage, causing the crowd to erupt into cheers and applause.
After the hysteria calmed down, Depp said into a microphone, "Hey. Happy to be here," before waving and walking backstage.
Fans were in for a further treat as Burton screened footage featuring Depp as his Mad Hatter character, before joking about the inspiration behind his unusual look: "John and I worked together many times, but he's never done a character with orange hair. We scalped Carrot Top and took his hair. ... We realized once we got into it that we picked out every image from TV and cinema of red hair and it's quite a distributing thing -- from Bozo (the clown) onward."
Fox: 'I'm only pals with men'
Megan Fox never makes friends with her female co-stars, because she only hangs out with boys.
The "Transformers" actress has previously admitted she had a frosty relationship with Lindsay Lohan during filming of Disney hit "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen."
And she admits she rarely becomes pals with her fellow female leads, insisting she always prefers the company of men.
Fox tells Britain's Heat magazine, "I actually only had one girlfriend growing up.
"Most of my friends were boys. I was such a tomboy. I always enjoyed doing guy things. So I really didn't get along with the girls in that aspect. My one girlfriend lives in Florida and she works in a mall. She's the furthest thing from an actress."
Lopez to celebrate 40th with star-studded party
Jennifer Lopez will celebrate her 40th birthday on Friday with a spectacular bash in her native New York.
A star-studded event is being planned on Saturday night to mark the milestone, which will blow away the party her husband Marc Anthony threw to mark his 40th last year.
Organizers are working hard to keep the media guessing about the venue and guest list, but a number of A-list stars are expected to jet into the Big Apple to help the superstar welcome in her 40s, including Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham.
The party is expected to include performances and dancers have been auditioned all week to take part in the extravaganza.
An insider tells WENN, "Everything is being kept top secret. Even performers won't be told if they have been hired until the last minute, to prevent details of the party from being leaked.
"Organizers are determined to keep the media away."
Kelis gets major pay from Nas
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file
New mom Kelis has won a whopping $55,000-a-week in spousal and child support from estranged husband Nas after a judge ruled in her favor in their ongoing divorce battle.
Rapper Nas only wanted to pay $5,000 a month in child support for their newborn son Knight, while his budget for spousal support was not released.
Kelis -- who filed for divorce in April -- argued she needed $3,500 for a baby nurse and an additional $20,000 for strollers, cribs and other baby supplies.
But the singer, who gave birth in New York on Tuesday, will now have cash to spare after a judge ordered Nas to hand over the more substantial sum during a hearing on Thursday.
He will also have to cover additional costs of prenatal expenses and medical insurance and pay $35,000 in legal fees to Kelis' lawyer Laura Wasser, reports TMZ.com.
The former hip-hop supercouple was originally due in court on Tuesday, but they were excused from the hearing after Kelis went into labor.
The stars are both seeking joint custody of the baby boy.
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AP Entertainment News
- Directors, actors geek out with fans at Comic-Con 07.25.2009
- Fans get first peek at `Iron Man 2' at Comic-Con 07.25.2009
- Cast of `Glee' spill secrets, shows second episode 07.25.2009
- Bayreuth opera festival opens under new directors 07.25.2009
- Jackson advisor says he turned over $5.5 million 07.25.2009
What's Opening?
The romantic comedy "The Ugly Truth"; guinea pigs to the rescue in "G-Force"; beware "The Orphan."
