Breaking News
Ryan Seacrest's E! Invader: I'm Not Guilty!
For the time being, Ryan Seacrest's alleged stalker will remain just that: alleged.
Chidi Uzomah Jr. pleaded not guilty this morning to one count of felony stalking and two misdemeanor counts of violating a court order to maintain a Seacrest-free perimeter in the wake of last Friday's surprise stop-by at E! HQ.
Uzomah did not speak during the arraignment, leaving his public defender to enter the plea. He's due to reappear for his preliminary hearing on Nov. 16.
In the meantime, however, Seacrest's attorney Blair Berk came through on her promise to get a "much more comprehensive" criminal protective order against Uzomah.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Donald Kennedy ordered the 25-year-old Army reservist to surrender all firearms within 24 hours of his release (which shows no signs of coming soon); and, effective immediately, he is not to harass, contact or otherwise come within 500 yards of Seacrest or his places of employment for the next three years.
Uzomah has not yet posted his $150,000 bail and remains in police custody. As a result, he appeared in court behind a protective clear glass barrier.
The 25-year-old Army reservist (as expected, Uncle Sam is not exactly thrilled with that affiliation) has been on probation since his switchblade-wielding attack on one of Seacrest's security guards last month. He pleaded guilty to assault, battery and possession of said weapon in the incident.
If convicted on all three new counts, he could face up to four years in prison.
________
Get caught up on Ryan's scary saga.
Bruce Jenner Confirms Khloé's Post-, Er, Prenup
Memo to Bruce Jenner: there might be a reason your family likes keeping you in the dark.
The loosest lipped member of the reality clan is at again, this time becoming the first family member to go on the record about stepdaughter Khloé Kardashian hitherto unconfirmed prenup with Lamar Odom.
"Khloé is very smart," he said at last night's launch of his new son-in-law's clothing line, Rich Soil. "They both have careers and assets and that's the smart thing to do, for both of them. I think they're doing the right thing."
Just as long as he doesn't also think he won't be on the receiving end of a few stink eyes around the family table, it shouldn't be a problem.
Fortunately, he didn't divulge any specifics.
"You've seen the show! I get told nothing," he said.
Sources close to the Kardashian clan said that the newlyweds' prenup negotiations were amicable and far from the drama-fest that's been reported.
As for who would get what...
Quaids Keep the Crazy Train Rolling, Face Extradition For Court No-Show
If 80 percent of success is just showing up, then the Quaids were battling rough odds from the get-go.
Neither Randy nor Evi Quaid deigned to appear at a hearing in Santa Barbara court this morning to answer to their bizarre inn-defrauding charges, thereby setting into motion their extradition from Texas.
In fairness, the Quaids' appearance at today's arraignment was strictly voluntary, however, it was also made clear ahead of time that if they were no-shows, formal extradition proceedings would begin.
"It was on calendar today to see if they wanted to voluntarily appear," Santa Barbara District Attorney's office spokesman Lee Carter told E! News. "They didn't show up. The warrant in California remains outstanding, the District Attorney's office will start preparing the extradition paperwork."
Eh, who has time to travel when there are sheriffs departments to harass?
Still, the dynamic duo isn't wholly unprepared for their legal battle, and even hired themselves a new attorney, who requested (without explanation) that the arraignment be pushed back to next Monday and again provide for the Quaids' voluntary appearance.
Judging by its response, the ever-accommodating D.A. apparently didn't learn its lesson the first time.
On the Bright Side, Randy Quaid's Making News Again; Now About Those Felonies...
It seems not even Hollywood stars are above the odd dine-and-dash. Or, in Randy Quaid's case, resort-and-dash.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has issued arrest warrants for the actor and wife Evi Quaid after the duo allegedly skipped out on $10,000-plus bill at a local hotel.
"The three charges that both are facing are burglary, defrauding an innkeeper and conspiracy," sheriff's spokesman Drew Sugars tells E! News. "All three are felonies in this case."
While the reason for the defraud charge is apparent, the conspiracy and burglary counts were included as officers believe that the couple, who seem to have a history of this type of behavior, never had any intention of paying for their stay.
Fergie Catches a Case of the Coldplays
Are there no new ideas in Hollywood anymore? Not if you're a potential plaintiff with an itchy trigger finger.
And that finger is now pointed at Fergie.
Like those British blokes before her, the Black Eyed Pea has been sued for allegedly stealing song. This time Grounded Music claims Fergie's "Voodoo Doll" blatantly rips off a nearly decade-old reggae song no one's heard of (or at least didn't know they'd heard of until now), "Waterfall" by Groundation.
The latter song was recorded in 2000, six years prior to Fergie's tune. The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday and which also ropes in EMI and producer Will.i.am, alleges that Fergie's track "is substantially and strikingly similar" to the earlier ditty.
Grounded Music, which holds the copyright to Groundation's song, is seeking unspecified damages and is requesting a trial by jury.
Compare the tunes and give your own verdict:
Ross, Shields, Feldman Expected to Join Jacksons for Michael's "Extraordinary" Burial Service
Properly paying tribute to the King of Pop: priceless. The cost of properly paying tribute to the King of Pop: "extraordinary."
Michael Jackson's estate today got stuck agreed to foot what is expected to be the heftiest of bills for the star's long-in-the-works burial tomorrow night at the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Calif.
Judge Mitchell Beckloff, the final word on all Jackson money matters, ruled today that the estate would pay for whatever type of service deemed necessary for the star, but hizzoner would not set a cap on how much they could or should spend, leaving that decision in the hands of the estate's special administrators.
Katherine Jackson had lobbied to get the estate to pony up for the memorial, though the involved parties appear to have come down with a sudden case of tongue-tieditis when asked to ballpark how much, exactly, the private services would cost.
"The expenses will be extraordinary, but Michael Jackson was extraordinary," Jeryll Cohen, an attorney for Johns Branca and McClain, the estate's administrators, said today.
As for what it is that's making the tab so high, well, the high-profile mourners expected in attendance certainly aren't helping matters...
Britney Spears's Peeper Gets Restrained
Britney Spears' peeper documentarian-in-training better get the long lens ready.
A temporary restraining order was issued today against Miranda Tozier-Robbins, the woman busted for trespassing on the Circus star's property back in April.
Tozier-Robbins must stay at least 100 yards away from both Spears and her spread in Calabasas, Calif.
The 26-year-old onetime American Idol hopeful was originally due to be arraigned this morning on two misdemeanor charges, but the hearing was put off for one week after she showed up more than two hours late to the Malibu courthouse.
Breaking News
Attorney: Britney Living "in Prison," Wants Out from Daddy's Control
Does Britney Spears want out from under her daddy's thumb?
That was the big storyline today as a lawyer took the stand as a Los Angeles court heard testimony on whether to extend the restraining orders barring former manager/sidekick Sam Lutfi ahd other hangers-on from having contact with the "Toxic" singer.
Attorney John Anderson took the stand this morning told Superior Court Commissioner Aviva K. Bobb that he was asked to represent the pop star in a battle to free her from the conservatorship controled by her father, Jamie Spears.
"A person who purported to be Lutfi told me that all of Britney Spears' phone rights were cut off," he said, adding that he was also told that the mother of two was under tight control by her father and virtually "in prison."
Isaiah Washington Faces Eviction
Another anatomy with which Isaiah Washington seems to have become intimately familiar: That of a bill-dodger.
The deposed Grey's Anatomy star and wife Jenisa have been served with a three-day notice to pony up or face eviction from their Venice, Calif., home after allegedly failing to pay $100,000 in rent.
According to the documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday by Sandalwood Properties, the couple has failed to pay any rent on the home since November.
The Washingtons have been leasing the home with the option to buy it for $3.65 million and had, until five months ago, been paying $20,000 per month for the canal-front property.
A copy of the pending legal action was posted on their premises last Thursday.
Rihanna Looking for a New Man...sion
Whether Rihanna is moving on remains to be seen. But she is moving on up.
The songbird, who has kept a relatively low profile since her alleged assault at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown last month, reemerged in Los Angeles yesterday, where she began a house hunting tour of the Hollywood Hills with several friends.
Among the homes the "Disturbia" singer and her pals viewed was a $6.25 million property once owned by Jerry Seinfeld. The 5,913-square-foot home boasts three bedrooms, five bathrooms, a pool and hot tub and, seemingly most important, hilltop views of the city.
"She wants a home with a great view," real estate agent Russell Filice, who showed Rihanna the former Seinfeld abode, told E! News.
"She hasn't made any decisions on anything yet. I think it's early on in the process."
Per Filice, the singer, who inevitably was being followed paparazzi at the time, seemed unfazed by the trailing cameras.
"She was great. She seemed very happy, no bruises, very sweet and beautiful."
Gossip Girl Star Keeps Custody of Boy
Lily van der Woodsen lives! And, more importantly for Kelly Rutherford, she has won the first hard-earned round in court.
After two days of terse testimony, the judge in the Gossip Girl star's custody case has ruled that Rutherford can take her 2-year-old son with her to New York this weekend when she resumes filming on the CW hit.
The pregnant Rutherford was emotional as the judge ruled that she is clear to fly out with son Hermes this Sunday, for two months of location work in the Big Apple.
The actress' estranged husband, Daniel Giersch, who was fighting to keep the boy in Los Angeles, will serve as their unlikely travel buddy. He will be allowed to care for the boy in lieu of a third party while Rutherford is on set.
And that's not all...
Hayden Booted From Bar, Calls Cop for ID Back
After being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time—and most unfortunately, at the wrong age—Hayden Panettiere had to make do as her own hero last month.
The 19-year-old Heroes star had to call police to a Suffern, N.Y., nightclub on Dec. 23 after getting kicked out of a 21-and-over venue and having her driver's license confiscated.
Panettiere, accompanied by six girlfriends, entered the NV Lounge at roughly 9:15 p.m. via the employee entrance and lasted about 10 minutes before security spotted and carded her.
"At that time we asked her and her friends to leave," NV Lounge owner John Reznick tells E! News, adding that the actress cooperated by giving her license to an employee.
It was at that point, Reznick says, that Panettiere was informed of venue's policy to hand over confiscated IDs to the Suffern Police Department.
Hence her need to call the cops to the scene to retrieve her license ASAP.
"When my officers arrived on the scene we questioned Panettiere," Det. Craig Long tells E! News. "I asked her if she tried to buy alcohol and she denied it. Panettiere told me that someone opened the side door of the nightclub so she could go inside and say hello to friends, not buy drinks."


