Celebrities

Judge Tells Lindsay Lohan She Will Go to Jail If She Takes Offered Plea in Necklace-Theft Case

A lawyer for actress Lindsay Lohan reportedly had been trying to negotiate a plea deal in a necklace-theft case that would not involve any jail time. However, a California judge told Lohan in court today that any sentence he gives her if she pleads guilty or no contest would involve…

Feb 23, 2011 6:04 PM CST

6th Circuit ‘Bow Wow Wow’ Opinion Cited by Lawyer Eyeing Suit Against Britney Spears

A federal appeals court decision involving copyright protection for dog-related words is emboldening a lawyer for the Bellamy Brothers. A statement by lawyer Christopher Schmidt sees similarities between the Britney Spears pop song “Hold It Against Me” and the Bellamy Brothers country music song “If I Said You Had a…

Feb 22, 2011 6:49 PM CST

Britain May Rewrite Controversial Defamation Laws

In an effort to prevent the rich and famous from fighting their defamation battles in U.K. courtrooms, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg promised to introduce a draft bill this spring that could end “libel tourism.” U.K. defamation laws, called a “laughing stock” by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, may be…

Feb 22, 2011 5:49 PM CST

How Gal Pal’s Lawyer Got Mel Gibson Offer to $16M (Refused), Up From 1 Year Rent and Dodge Charger

When Oksana Grigorieva moved in with Mel Gibson, a 2009 cohabitation agreement provided that she would get one year’s free housing in a home he owned and a Dodge Charger if the couple split. But after she had the actor’s child, and especially after she taped him in an embarassing…

Feb 17, 2011 12:04 AM CST

Sued by Ousted Teen Beauty Queen, Pageant Fires Back with Diminution-of-Value Claim

Did Domonique Ramirez really get too fat and attend only lackadaisically and insubordinately to her duties as Miss San Antonio? Or, as the 17-year-old beauty queen claims, did organizers of the pageant apply too strict a standard in claiming that she and her mother failed to meet their contractual obligations?…

Feb 16, 2011 9:46 PM CST

As Probe Widens, Lawyer Says Celebrities Can’t Prove Tabloid’s Investigator Hacked Voice Mail

Two celebrities who claim their cell phone voice mail was hacked by an investigator with the U.K.’s News of the World may not be able to prove it, a lawyer for the tabloid told a London court today. According to Bloomberg News, the plaintiffs, actor Steve Coogan and sports commentator…

Feb 15, 2011 7:58 PM CST

6th Circuit Rejects Sentence Delay for Woman Convicted in Rick Pitino Extortion Attempt

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an effort to force the recusal of a federal judge who presided over the attempted extortion trial of a woman who sought to obtain millions from University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino in exchange for her silence about what she called…

Feb 14, 2011 7:01 PM CST

As Lohan Pleads Innocent in Necklace Theft, Judge Tells Her Not to Push Her Luck

Lindsay Lohan pleaded not guilty today in the theft of a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Calif., jeweler. But the judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court case warned the actress, who was released on $40,000 bail and is already on supervised probation concerning earlier driving under the influence cases,…

Feb 9, 2011 11:13 PM CST

Lindsay Lohan to Face Felony Grand Theft Charge re Necklace Taken from Jeweler, Prosecutor Says

Lindsay Lohan will be arraigned tomorrow on a felony grand theft charge for allegedly stealing a gold necklace from a California jeweler last month, a prosecutor says. Although a representative for the 24-year-old actress reportedly returned the necklace to Los Angeles police as a search warrant was being sought for…

Feb 8, 2011 11:43 PM CST

Sarah Palin and Daughter, Bristol, Seek to Trademark Their Names

Former Alaska governor and onetime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is reportedly seeking to trademark her name. And so is her daughter, Bristol, who has become something of a celebrity in her own right. The move is traditionally unusual for a politician. However, both women have made a name for…

Feb 5, 2011 1:51 AM CST

Did Dakota Co-op Board Discriminate Against Antonio Banderas? Suit Airs Claims

A lawsuit filed against the co-op board of the famous Dakota apartment building claims racial discrimination against minority celebrities identified in the press as singer Roberta Flack and Antonio Banderas. The suit was filed by former board president Alphonse Fletcher Jr., a black Wall Street investor who wasn’t allowed to…

Feb 4, 2011 3:32 PM CST

Targeted in Necklace Theft Probe, Lindsay Lohan May Have Been Tipped Off to Search Warrant, TMZ Says

Was actress Lindsay Lohan tipped off about a search warrant issued yesterday for her Venice, Calif., home? If she wasn’t, TMZ wonders, why would her assistant have returned a missing necklace to the Los Angeles Police Department rather than the jeweler from which Lohan says she borrowed it? The question…

Feb 3, 2011 1:45 AM CST

Courtney Love’s ‘Boudoir Queen’ Tweets Leave Lawyers Arguing: Is Case Settled or Not?

An eagerly awaited trial over Courtney Love’s twitter rants against a Texas fashion designer known as the “Boudoir Queen” may not be upcoming after all. Although lawyers for both sides disagree about the status of the Los Angeles Superior Court case, Love’s counsel says a settlement is essentially a done…

Jan 31, 2011 7:15 PM CST

Oops. Law Firm’s Confidential Notes re Gilbert Arenas are Filed in Unrelated LA Court Matter

Detailed information about former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas’ household finances is now public knowledge after a law firm apparently inadvertently filed in Los Angeles Superior Court typewritten notes of an interview with his long-term girlfriend. Trope and Trope, which was consulted by Laura Govan, 31, declined to comment. But…

Jan 27, 2011 9:50 PM CST

Trial of Michael Jackson’s Doctor Could Decide Insurance Coverage for Canceled ‘This Is It’ Concert

A decision earlier this month to try Michael Jackson’s personal physician for involuntary manslaughter could determine whether London market insurers ante up in the cancellation of the famous singer’s final “This is It” concert tour. Because the policy reportedly may cover only Jackson’s non-appearance due to “accident,” it might not…

Jan 27, 2011 1:29 AM CST