The man who murdered John Lennon 25 years ago says "nothing could have stopped" his twisted quest to track down and assassinate the ex-Beatle.

"I was under total compulsion," killer Mark David Chapman says in a segment to be aired at 8 p.m. EST Friday on "Dateline NBC." "It was like a train, a runaway train, there was no stopping it."

Chapman fatally shot Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980, as the musician and his wife, Yoko Ono, returned home from a night in a Manhattan recording studio. Chapman's comments came from audiotapes made in 1991-92 and first used as part of a British documentary.

Chapman recalled waiting for Lennon that night, then reacting as he saw a limousine pull up outside the ex-Beatle's home. "I heard a voice in my head saying, `Do it, do it,'" Chapman recounted. "And as he passed me I pulled out the gun, aimed at his back and pulled the trigger five times in succession."

Chapman recalled that his desire to kill Lennon began one day in his apartment in Hawaii, where he was sitting on the floor and looking at the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. His animosity soon began to consume Chapman. "There was a successful man who kind of had the world on a chain, so to speak, and there I was, not even a link of that chain, just a person who had no personality," Chapman said. "And something in me just broke."

Chapman, 50, is eligible for parole again next year. Ono has repeatedly argued against Chapman's release, and his bids for freedom were already rejected three times by the state parole board.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:32 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 282 words, total size 2 kb.

Writer Candace Bushnell of "Sex and the City" fame is developing an hourlong series for NBC about the familiar topic of women in New York, the network said Tuesday.

Based on Bushnell's novel "Lipstick Jungle," the series is part of the network's development slate for the 2006 fall season, an NBC spokesman said.

The novel is "so strong .... It's a really fun character piece," NBC Universal Television executive Katherine Pope told trade paper Daily Variety.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 82 words, total size 1 kb.

Paris Hilton's new pet monkey, Baby Luv, went bananas when she took the peeved primate on a lingerie shopping spree in Las Vegas last weekend.

Rumor has it that Baby Luv bit Hilton and clawed her face when she walked into the Agent Provocateur shop at Caesars on Saturday with the beast on her shoulder. Paris managed to pull Baby Luv off her and hooked his leash to a cabinet while she rang up $4,000 worth of bras and panties and a bullwhip, says our eyewitness.

Later that night, when the lingerie line hosted Kelly Osbourne's 21st birthday bash at the Hard Rock, Baby Luv escaped from Hilton's clutches — delaying the start of the Agent Provocateur show until staffers found him after a 20-minute search.

Meanwhile, Hilton's boyfriend, Stavros Niarchos III, was up to monkey business of his own. In one of the Hard Rock rooms paid for by Niarchos, his bonehead buddies started a fire Sunday morning. The blaze set off the sprinkler system which flooded a dozen rooms, a hotel source says. We're told Niarchos agreed to put $25,000 in damages on his credit card, but he'll likely have to pony up a lot more cash. "The damage may be closer to $100,000," says a source.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:04 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 213 words, total size 1 kb.

Christina Aguilera and her fiance Jordan Bratman, who had a his 'n' hers bachelor and bachelorette weekend in Mexico recently, are set to wed this weekend.

Rumor has it that Aguilera's dress is by Christian Lacroix and the bridesmaids will be wearing designs by Kai Milla, wife of Stevie Wonder.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

Together again, and in public, too: Jude Law and Sienna Miller were both at Sunday night's Los Angeles premiere of her new movie, Casanova.

Though they walked the red carpet separately, Miller confirmed to the Associated Press about the off-again relationship, which apparently is on-again: "Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Elaborating, she said that "it's just fantastic to have him here and support the film. We're working things out. And he's always and will remain my closest friend in the world, so, you know, so it's good."

Admittedly, she added, "Yeah, we've had a rough ride, so that is good Â… That's very good."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 109 words, total size 1 kb.

'Laguna Beach," the teen reality show/soap that has become the biggest series on MTV, has spawned a spin-off.

"The Hills" will follow the continuing drama that always seems to swirl around Lauren Conrad — better known to fans as L.C., the vivacious young blonde who drew so much attention on "Laguna" — as she moves to Los Angeles, goes to college and works as an intern at Teen Vogue.

"The way I look at it is, 'The Hills' is to 'Laguna Beach' what 'Melrose Place' was to 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' " says Tony DiSanto, executive producer of both shows.

"This is the story of Lauren from 'Laguna Beach' bursting out of that bubble, moving to L.A. and trying to juggle school, a career and relationships — you're going to get a good mix of the three different avenues of her life and how she's trying to keep it all together," DiSanto says. "It's a nice change from 'Laguna' — you're sort of living this with her — it's a progression from 'Laguna Beach.' "

Another "Laguna"-like show called "8th & Ocean" is also in production by the same team. But that show will center on the lives of wannabe fashion models trying to hit the big time in Miami's spiciest neighborhood — home to what has been called the "sexiest beach" in the U.S.

--Did you all catch the cryfest that was last night's commercial-free finale?

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:50 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 240 words, total size 2 kb.

Katie Holmes is reportedly quitting acting - to be a stay-at-home mum.

The 26-year-old - who is pregnant with fiancé Tom Cruise's baby - allegedly wants to devote herself to being a full-time mother and housewife.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Katie has decided to give up acting altogether. She's been telling friends that she and Tom have decided it is best she stays at home and brings up their baby."

"Her decision is raising a lot of eyebrows in Hollywood. She is at the perfect age for so many screen roles and has completely closed the door on a promising career."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:47 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 112 words, total size 1 kb.

Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2005 will be Mother Nature, if yesterday's lunch debate in the Time-Life Building was any indication.

The panel — which included NBC's Brian Williams, CNN's Anderson Cooper, Democratic consultant Donna Brazile and conservative think tank head Grover Norquist — all agreed this year's combination of hurricanes, tsunami and the Pakistan earthquake make for a natural choice.

Asked by Time editor Jim Kelly who should play Mother Nature on the cover, Williams cracked, "Bea Arthur." The runner-ups figure to be Bono, the Google guys, Condoleezza Rice, Pope Benedict XVI, Patrick Fitzgerald, Lance Armstrong and Steve Jobs.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:44 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 112 words, total size 1 kb.

Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit has topped a list of celebrity offspring with the most bizarre names, according to an online poll.

Another of the singer-songwriter's four children -- Dweezil -- also makes the top 10 at number seven, but there are no mentions for the ground-breaking musician's two other children: Ahmed Emuukha Rodan and Diva Muffin.

Moon Unit Zappa won out ahead of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple.

The top 10 is:

1 Moon Unit -- Frank Zappa
2 Apple -- Chris Martin (Colplay)
3 Misty Kyd -- Sharleen Spiteri (Texas)
4 Geronimo -- Alex James (Blur)
5 Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily -- Michael Hutchence/Paula Yates
6 Dandelion -- Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)
7 Dweezil -- Frank Zappa
8 Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q -- Bono (U2)
9 Zowie Bowie -- David Bowie
10 Rufus Tiger -- Roger Taylor (Queen)

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:40 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 155 words, total size 1 kb.

Angelina Jolie's estranged father Jon Voight has reportedly found love with soul diva Diana Ross after the odd couple were introduced by Motown founder Berry Gordy.

The couple arrived together hand in hand at the recent Hollywood tribute to Ross' 1972 movie Lady Sings The Blues and pals claim they're very much in love. A friend maintains the movie tribute was the ideal opportunity for Voight to be introduced to Ross' children. The pal says, "It was the first time all the kids met him together and it was obvious that he charmed them. At one point, when he was introduced to a family friend, one of Diana's daughters cracked, 'Jon's one of us.'"

Friends claim the couple have been fond of each other for years but didn't embark on a romance until last month when Gordy set them up on a dinner date. A source says, "Diana has been to hell and back over her booze problems and DUI (drunk-driving) arrest, and he (Gordy) kept telling her that since she beat her demons and emerged from the depths of depression, all she needed now was love. And I'll be damned if he didn't go out and find the perfect man for her himself."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:36 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 206 words, total size 1 kb.

Rod Stewart froze his sperm "in case of problems", his fiancée Penny Lancaster has revealed.

The blonde model, who is expecting her first child with the rocker next month, said they had taken the precautionary measure at home before trying for a baby. Penny, whose 'Roddy' has six children already, also confessed to popping his sample into her handbag before rushing it to a sperm bank in her sports car.

She explained: "We did freeze Rod's sperm in case there are going to be any problems. We were at home. We didn't do it at a hospital. We were at home privately, you know, intimately. And then I rushed down in the Ferrari with my handbag and the little vial next to it"

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:33 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 129 words, total size 1 kb.

Kathleen Turner says she pretended to be an alcoholic to hide the fact she had rheumatoid arthritis.

She feared she would be unable to find work if she had arthritis because of Hollywood's obsession with youth. The 51-year-old, who is moving to Italy, blasted the attitude of American directors who she accuses of only employing actress below a certain age.

"I was afraid I wouldn't get work," she told the New York Daily News. "My hands were very crippled for a while, so I kept dropping glasses and things because I couldn't grip them. "Some of the medications make you blow up and puffy, so the rumor was that I had a drinking problem. "It was safer for me to let people think I was drinking than to tell them that I had this.

"They always hire drunks, all the time. But they wouldn't hire someone with a disease they didn't understand."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:29 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 158 words, total size 1 kb.

Rappers Lil' Jon and Ice-T may hawk their own energy drinks, but Snoop Dogg hopes to upstage them both with his new line of hot dogs.

The laid-back hip-hopper has lent his name to "Foot Long Snoop Doggs," which will feature a wrapper that bears Snoop's likeness, reports aversion.com, which notes, "If Snoop Doggs take off, expect a line of J. Lo's huge buns to surface in the near future."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:12 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 74 words, total size 1 kb.

Angelina Jolie reportedly wants to go on television to tell the world about her relationship with Brad Pitt.

The tight-lipped star is said to be so fed-up with the rumors and gossip surrounding their romance, she wants to set the record straight. A source is quoted in Britain's Daily Star newspaper as saying: "Angelina's told Brad it's time they came clean about their relationship on TV. She's just looking for the right show to set the record straight"

Earlier this week it was revealed that Brad is desperate for Angelina to reunite with her estranged father - so he can walk her down the aisle when they marry.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:05 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 116 words, total size 1 kb.

Jessica Seneca, estranged wife of Quo nightclub owner Carlo Seneca, is bitter over his relationship with model Janice Dickinson.

"I had a baby girl on Sept. 20, and I am furious and really hurt," she told Page Six's Tom Sykes. "I found his cellphone bill, and he had been calling [Dickinson] every day since July. He called her on my birthday, even on the day the baby was born. When I confronted him about it three weeks ago, he said he was seeing her because he wanted a celebrity name attached to his club and to his new restaurant, and I threw him out."

Carlo, whose restaurant, Pre-Post, on 27th Street (in which Dickinson is a partner), opens next month, fires back: "We grew apart because when Jessica went to dental school, all she wanted to do all day was study. I was being ignored, so I opened the club. I have more than met my responsibilities. I have put $50,000 in a bank account in the baby's name, and I am still paying the $5,000-a-month rent on the apartment and all the bills."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:02 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 189 words, total size 1 kb.

Some pics of Jessica's recent humanitarian trip to Kenya:

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:59 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 17 words, total size 1 kb.

Actor Bruce Willis has offered $1 million to anyone who turns in al-Qaeda terror leaders. The patriotic star will pay out for information on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden, Aymen Al-Zawahiri or Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the alleged brains behind the 9/11 atrocity.

Willis announced his reward on the show Rita Cosby: Live And Direct, where he also slammed biased media coverage of the Iraq war. He said, "I am baffled to understand why the things that I saw happening in Iraq, really good things happening in Iraq, are not being reported on."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:55 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 97 words, total size 1 kb.

The public, and certainly the comedians, were amazed when Tom Cruise bounced on Oprah Winfrey's couch proclaiming his love for Katie Holmes, but the talk show queen told "Good Morning America" she had no idea what was going on at the time.

"It was wilder than it was appearing to me," Winfrey said. "I was just trying to maintain the truth for myself because I couldn't figure out what was going on. And what I was prepared for was the dance that happens when you're doing celebrities — when you know they're not going to tell you, but you're going to ask anyway, and then you try asking another way."

"I was not buying — not buying or not buying," Winfrey said of Cruise's declarations of love. "That's why I kept saying to 'you're gone, you're really gone.'" Cruise's infamous appearance on "Oprah" is just one of many celebrity moments on the anniversary DVD celebrating Winfrey's 20 years on air.

Winfrey has accumulated great wealth over the years — Forbes estimates her fortune to be $1 billion — but said she does not worry about the money changing her.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:53 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 195 words, total size 1 kb.

Chocolate infused with tea — be it Earl Grey, green or Irish Breakfast — is exploding in the chocolate industry. Many confectioners showed off their candy brews at the 8th annual Chocolate Show this weekend in New York City.

"Tea and chocolate are a very good combination," said François Payard, owner of Payard patisserie and bistro in Manhattan. "They are two strong flavors that go well together."

And go well together they do, when it's quality chocolate and equally top-notch tea. Payard's Earl Grey dark chocolates are divine, as are the Missouri-based Bissinger's green-tea truffles with lemongrass. Chocolate Bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village offers both tea-infused truffles — Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey — and chocolate-infused tea, made with Valrhona flakes of 99 percent cacao.

"Tea and chocolate are sharing an interesting evolution within the consumer market," said Chocolate Bar owner and founder Alison Nelson. "They're both high in antioxidants, so putting them together is a natural choice."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:49 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 166 words, total size 1 kb.

New parents Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have taken to wearing photographs of each other as babies around their necks.

The couple's odd behavior was exposed when the cute pictures were assumed to be of their new three-month-old son Sean Preston. But the pair insist it is just another way of expressing their intense love for each other.

Spears' representative Leslie Sloane says, "That photo Kevin is wearing around his neck is actually a photo of Britney as a baby."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:44 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 86 words, total size 1 kb.