Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Nicole Richie clad in white. Joel Madden in his best suit. Courthouse. Marriage.

All were in play today in downtown L.A., but it's not exactly what you think.

Richie appeared Monday afternoon in court, where she was granted a permanent protective order against a couple of shutterbugs.

Richie, dressed in a sheer white blouse with her hair pulled tightly back in a bun, showed up with Madden, dressed in a black suit, and gave testimony of a car accident she blamed on the the paparazzi.

But the news that caused the most buzz was her lawyer's pronouncement of them as husband and wife.

Attorney Mark Geragos repeatedly referred to Madden as "your husband" during questioning of Richie.

And that was news to us.

Keep Reading

AP Photo/Nick Ut

Last week, police broke up what was described as a burglary ring targeting Hollywood stars, including Lindsay Lohan.

Today, one of those suspects—whose involvement in an E! reality project has potentially been jeopardized by her arrest—is blaming a poor choice in friends as the reason she's on the wrong end of the law.

"This is a difficult time for my family and myself and I can't wait for all of this to be cleared up," Alexis Neirs exclusively tells E! News. "I've learned my lesson that I need to make some better friends and some better decisions as far as my friends go."

Keep Reading

Michael Tran/Getty Images

Stephanie Pratt has taken a detour from The Hills into the drunk tank.

The reality TV trainwreck was busted on suspicion of DUI early this morning after a night of partying.

A Los Angeles police spokesman tells E! News that Pratt, 23, was arrested at 3:45 a.m. in Hollywood and taken to Van Nuys jail. She remains locked up, and her bail is set at $5,000.

Pratt and several Hills costars spent Saturday celebrating Holly Montag's 26th birthday part at the nighspot Empire.

We can't wait for this episode to air.

Keep Reading

Jennifer Aniston just can't win.

In an interview airing tonight, Aniston tells Daily 10's Ben Lyons that even in her most recent spread with Elle magazine—that's the one where her own best friend and producing partner conducted the interview—the gist of the article was off-base.

"It's just their headline of 'Lonely Girl' that's sort of bullshit," Aniston says.  "I agreed to do it because how many times have I done an interview—every time—and you're misquoted and stupid sound bites get taken out of context and all of that….still happened with this. It's unavoidable."

Still, the star keeps an optimistic outlook.

"I'm not upset about it," she says. "I just find it funny." 

________

Catch the whole Aniston interview tonight on E!'s Daily 10 at 7:30. Until then, let's look at the star's fashion choices, shall we?

ABC

Joyce DeWitt is in trouble with da law.

The actress only best known as playing third fiddle to John Ritter and Suzanne Somers on Three's Company has been rung up by SoCal cops for apparently a little too much pre-fireworks celebrating on the Fourth.

DeWitt was busted Saturday around 4:30 p.m. on suspicion of DUI, El Segundo Police Sgt. Dean Howard tells E! News

“An officer saw DeWitt drive a vehicle past a barricade intended to control vehicular traffic near a park,” says Howard. “As the officer spoke with DeWitt, he observed signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication."

DeWitt, 60, whiffed a series of field sobriety test and was hauled away to the station for booking.

Justin/INFphoto.com

Everyone knows that Rihanna is a tattoo trendsetter.

Just ask Lindsay Lohan and Lily Allen. (Or on second thought, don't.)

But last night three lucky people at New York City's East Side Ink got brand-new tattoos inked by the "Umbrella" singer herself.

"She came by to hang out with us and her regular tattoo artist Bang Bang," says East Side Ink owner Yadira. "He decided he wanted to get a tattoo from her and then two of the other artists decided they wanted to get one as well."

Riri gave her buddy and the other artists one of her signature signs.

"She tattooed us for a change," says Yadira. "It's a little umbrella with a capital "R" underneath it. The second and third had a number two and a number three next to it."

But according to the NYC Health Department, tattooing without a license is illegal.

"Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City's Health Code," says spokesperson Erin Brady.

Still, Yadria says what it's only illegal if she is making a profit. And as for Rihanna facing any legal drama, an NYPD spokeswoman tells E! "Someone would have to make a complaint. There's been none that we know of."

Who would complain? Most people—and probably even Lindsay—would love such a unique souvenir.

Check out the other inked-up stars in our Celebrity Tattoos gallery.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip; Elsa/Getty Images

Rihanna's courtroom showdown with ex Chris Brown is Monday, but is the R&B star nervous?

Not one bit, according to her lawyer.

"She's fine," attorney Donald Etra tells E! News. "She's fully expecting she'll be required to testify. She will answer all questions asked of her truthfully."

Rihanna was spotted in New York as recently as Thursday evening, but Etra says, "She will be here in time for the hearing."

Monday's preliminary hearing will feature prosecutors outlining their evidence against Brown, who has pleaded not guilty to assaulting and threatening Rihanna. She is one of those who has been subpoenaed to testify. At the end of the hearing, Los Angeles Superior Judge Patricia Schnegg will determine if the case is solid enough to proceed to trial.

While it promises to be dramatic, the Brown-Rihanna face-off will not be televised. On Thursday, the judge announced she had banned media outlets from bringing cameras inside the courtroom.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Howard K. Stern and two doctors pleaded not guilty this morning to supplying Anna Nicole Smith with the drugs that eventually took her life.

Stern, Smith's longtime companion and lawyer, and Drs. Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor stand accused of six felony counts, including prescribing, administering, and dispensing a controlled substance to an addict.

Smith's lawyer has previously decried the charges as "sensational lies, speculation, rumor and gossip" and insists his client will be exonerated.

Developing story. More to come...

E! Entertainment

Lane Garrison has been released from rehab, but not of his own accord.

The actor was out for a jog in Los Angeles this morning despite having checked into the Tarzana Treatment Facility last week for what was supposed to be a five-month stay.

"He stayed at the facility for a couple of hours," a source close to Garrison tells E! News. "Because of the work he did as a substance-abuse program leader while he was incarcerated, they said he had already served his time in regards to rehabilitation so it would be redundant considering the work that he had already completed."

Keep Reading

Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

George Clooney's next role could land him a prize for best supporting pal.

The Oscar winner's rep tells E! News that Clooney is willing to get buddy Rande Gerber's back if a sexual-harassment lawsuit against Gerber (aka Mr. Cindy Crawford) winds up going to trial.

Turns out Clooney was with Gerber the night of the alleged incident at the center of the lawsuit brought by waitresses at the Moonstone Lounge in the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. The servers claim they were fired after refusing Gerber's attempts to kiss them and feel them up.

"George 100 percent supports Rande Gerber's position that what they say happened that night never happened," says Rosenfield, adding that if Clooney is called to testify on his friend’s behalf, he will be there.

Clooney is expected to release his own statement later today.

Michael Papo/ZUMAPress.com

Nannygate's got a court date.

With Rob Lowe vowing not to settle the case, a Los Angeles judge today set Nov. 16 as the start of the actor's trial against former nanny Laura Boyce.

“The judge asked about settlement and whether we would want to go into a mediation,” Lowe lawyer Larry Stein tells E! News of this morning's hearing. “We indicated that we did not.”

Translation: It is on like Donkey Kong!

Keep Reading