Brock Peters, who began his Hollywood career in the landmark productions of "Carmen Jones" and "Porgy and Bess" and gave a heartbreaking performance as the black man falsely accused of rape in "To Kill a Mockingbird," has died at age 78.

Peters had been receiving chemotherapy after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January, according to Marilyn Darby, his longtime companion. His condition worsened in recent weeks and he died peacefully in bed Tuesday, surrounded by family, she said.

Peters was born George Fisher on July 2, 1927, in New York. His long film career began in the 1950s; he appeared in "Carmen Jones" (1954) and in "Porgy and Bess" (1959).

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This certainly seems to be life imitating art, or vice versa...

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves has dumped 28-year-old actress Lynn Collins- and is reportedly dating Diane Keaton.

Reeves dated Collins for three months after meeting her on the set of new movie Mare II.

Keaton, 59, and 40-year-old Reeves co-starred in Something's Gotta Give and were romantically linked earlier this year - before Reeves met Collins.

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Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Lowe and Andy Garcia will be set against Sir Steve Redgrave, Damian Lewis and Jodie Kidd in the first ever US v Europe All Star Cup celebrity golf tournament over the weekend – and they'll all be dressed by Tommy Hilfiger.

The event will be held at Celtic Manor golf resort, site of the 2010 Ryder Cup, from August 27-29 and will feature celebrities from both continents playing in teams captained by Colin Montgomerie and Mark O'Meara. For all the action, they will be wearing key pieces from Hilfiger's European Golf Collection, while for more formal moments they will be supplied with looks from his American Classics Tailored and Women's Sportswear Collections. Player of the tournament will also receive a special limited edition jacket.

"Sport and style are integral to my design philosophy," says Hilfiger, who has dressed the Ferrari Formula One team and the US Olympic Freestyle Ski team in the past, as well as Arsenal football club for the formal wardrobe for the 2005 FA Cup Final. "This event is an incredible opportunity to showcase not only the unique fashion, lifestyle and performance qualities of the European Golf Collection, but also our tailored, and men's and women's sportswear lines."

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I have NO idea what happened to the server exactly. Sorry for the disruption in your quest for gossip!

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1 I almost went into the DT's when munu went down and couldn't get into MP&S! Where else am I gonna get all the important news!!! Welcome back, and don't let this happen again.

Posted by: Nancy Burden at August 24, 2005 07:06 PM (V0sIr)

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Britney Spears' husband Kevin Federline has turned to holistic healer Deepak Chopra for spiritual guidance.

Father-of-two Federline, who will celebrate his one-year wedding anniversary with Spears next month, was recently spotted carrying Chopra's The Book Of Secrets, which gives 15 spiritual pointers for enlightenment.

Of parenthood, Chopra writes, "Growing children learn many roles simultaneously, and the role learned at home is only one of many."

--I wonder if weed and Cheetos are two of the fifteen pointers.

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Australian actor Heath Ledger has taken to throwing eggs at the paparazzi when he catches them staking him out.

The actor is particularly annoyed by the presence of photographers when he's relaxing with his friends and relatives, so he now attacks them with eggs whenever he has any to hand. He says, "I've thrown an egg. Not at them just kind of next to them so it splatters up against them. That's how pathetic it is. That's what we're reduced to. You can't actually stand up and slap them. When they kind of spy in on you and you're trying to like bathe out in the sun, and you're with your girlfriend and your friends and your family... it actually feels like you're getting a slap across the face. And we can't physically stand up and hit them back, of course, it would be rude and against the law. So you just get an egg."

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Former smoker Mena Suvari is now so anti-tobacco she has agreed to front a new campaigned aimed at urging young women to quit.

The American Beauty star has signed up as a spokeswoman for anti-smoking charity Circle Of Friends, which offers help to those desperately trying to turn their backs on cigarettes. Suvari admits she started smoking when she was a teenager, but she was able to kick the habit with the help of family and friends - and then the loss of a relative to a smoking-related illness prompted her to be more active.

She says, "One of the things you learn being in the public eye is that you have the ability to raise awareness about serious issues, and, in the process, really help people. I've chosen to get the word out to women, especially young women, that tobacco is not glamorous - it's addictive and smoking takes a serious toll on your health."

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Jessica and Ashlee Simpson are seeking a new sponsor for their MTV Video Music Awards after-party because Jessica's outrageous demands have forced People magazine to pull out.

The singing sisters are planning to host a huge party and perform together at the Setai resort, Miami on August 28 and assumed People would be happy to pick up the bill - but the magazine baulked when they realized the extent of Jessica's planned extravagance.

An insider tells PageSix.com, "Her demands became outrageous. She wanted everyone to set up shop at 6am and be there for 24 hours. "She wanted $20,000 for hair and make-up, $80,000 for a technical production budget which her father, Joe, was overseeing, and over 30 rooms at the Setai."

And People were further upset when Jessica signed a $200,000 contract allowing OK! magazine exclusive access.

A Simpson representative says, "There were discussions with People about their VMA after-party, but Jessica and Ashlee were unable to do the party with them because of other sponsors involved with the event that would create conflicts with Jessica's master licensing deal and Ashlee's contract with Thermasilk. "Both girls are extremely conscious of their business deals and would do nothing to violate those relationships."

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There may soon be less of Michael Moore.

The portly propagandist is doing a stint at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Fla. — also known as the "fat farm for the rich." Moore is learning how to cook healthy meals and exercise and attending classes on "life re-education."

The program starts at $3,800 a week and promises enrolees they'll "learn a new approach to eating," "never have to diet again," and can lose up to 12 pounds in the first three weeks. The facility also has "cosmetic/medical treatments, such as intense pulsed light, botox injections, and Restylane."

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Brad Pitt has blasted the media for using unflattering pictures of estranged wife Jennifer Aniston to illustrate how badly his relationship with Angelina Jolie has hit the former Friends star.

The 41-year-old actor has blasted the press for false reports the former Friends actress has lost weight as a result of her former spouse's romance with his Mr. And Mrs. Smith co-star. However, Jolie and the Pitt deny they are a couple.

He says, "They look for the worst photos they can find, even if they're ancient, and manufacture a terrible story about her supposed loss of weight or something like that, and it's completely untrue." "It's the most wretched thing I've heard in my life. I've never seen such cruelty, even in a primary school."

"Jen is the sweetest, kindest woman that you could imagine. I really don't mind what they do to me, but to take advantage of someone who's the sweetest and most pleasant person in the world, and to do it day after day, seems to me despicable."

--And in other Brangelinaston news, Brad and Jen make their split official.

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Liz Hurley is adding to her green credentials by launching a range of organic baby foods.

The new brand has apparently been inspired by her three-year-old son Damian.

She said: "I found all I wanted to do was give him perfect, unadulterated food. "It would be wonderful to come up with good, maybe even convenience, food which is really healthy, low-calorie, organic and delicious."

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Joaquin Phoenix has denied tabloid reports that he had a breakdown while filming a scene related to Cash's brother's death in "Walk the Line," the upcoming Johnny Cash biopic.

Phoenix banged his head on a bedpost during a scene in which Cash is going through drug withdrawal in an attempt to get into his character's emotional state. He was acting, not flipping out, he tells Newsweek magazine, now on newsstands.

His brother River Phoenix died of a drug overdose outside a Los Angeles nightclub in 1993 when he was 23. Cash also lost his older brother at a young age, but Phoenix sees no connection. "I don't need to pull from my experience for a character, and I've never understood why actors would, except for lack of ability, imagination or research," he says. "I had all three things, so this is a little frustrating to me, because it denies my work and the research that I did."

Phoenix continues: "It bothers me that this happens, because it's slightly exploitative. Suggesting that I would use this personal part of my life for a (expletive) movie ... it kind of makes me sick."

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Juicy Couture goes live—in Times Square, that is.

The company famous for its “I Love” moniker has taken over a series of billboards facing Broadway will broadcast five images of actress/musician Taryn Manning dressed in the company’s fall/holiday collection. The actress, currently in Hustle & Flow, was photographed by Melodie McDaniel alongside a slew of cool and contemporary males wearing the Juicy Couture men’s/holiday line.

A ticker tape runs across the bottom of the billboard displaying such phrases as “Juicy Loves Men’s Vogue,” “Juicy Loves New York,” “Juicy Loves the CFDA (referring to their recent membership into the organization),” and “Juicy Loves Jen,” in an obvious nod to whom their terrycloth-and-velour-clad backs are in favor of when it comes to Angelina Jolie vs. Jennifer Aniston.

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Janeane Garofalo will guest star as a controversial media strategist for three episodes on NBC's "The West Wing" this fall.

Garofalo's character, Louise Thornton, is hired by Democratic Congressman Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) as the new director of communications for his presidential campaign. She urges Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) and the other staffers to stop playing politics and start concentrating on connecting with the electorate.

Her first appearance is expected to air Oct. 2, NBC said in a statement.

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The legendary Rolling Stones opened their long-awaited North American concert tour at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday night, and the anticipated event was not without some serious drama.

According to police, one female fan is recovering at a nearby hospital after suffering two broken ankles and a broken wrist. A fire department official reported that the unidentified woman was spotted hanging from the rafters of the concert venue before falling nearly 40 feet.

Meanwhile, thousands of devoted fans enjoyed both old favorites and some brand new hits from the group's upcoming album A Bigger Bang, set for release next month. One notable omission was their new single "Sweet Neo-Con," which has made news headlines recently for its controversial political theme which appears to send an anti-Bush administration message.

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The Coast Guard says it is investigating the disappearance of Olivia Newton-John's longtime boyfriend, who failed to return from an overnight fishing trip off the California coast seven weeks ago.

Patrick Kim McDermott, 48, left San Pedro, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, June 30 on an overnight fishing trip. The Los Angeles Police Department said McDermott has been listed as missing.

Coast Guard officer Nathan Henise told The Associated Press Monday that McDermott was last seen on the fishing vessel and that his personal items were found on the boat. "We're treating it as a missing person case," Henise told the AP. "Everyone is being interviewed, everyone on the boat."

Newton-John on Monday urged anyone with information on his disappearance to contact authorities. "I'm hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I'm grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much," she said in a statement. "I ask anybody with information that could help to please please come forward."

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Grammy-winning soul star Alicia Keys is eyeing a role as a ruthless assassin alongside Ben Affleck, in a new action comedy called Smokin' Aces. The singer is also expected to star alongside Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy Piven in the movie, which will be directed by film-maker Joe Carnahan.

In Smokin' Aces, Reynolds will play an FBI agent masterminding a manhunt for Piven's loudmouthed stand-up comedian character. With the comic making plans to testify against the mafia, Keys and a collection of fellow hired killers seek to cash in on the contract on his life, reports MTV.

Keys recently signed a deal portray piano player Philippa Schuyler in Halle Berry's film based on the book Compositions In Black And White.

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Scarlett Johansson's trip to California theme park Disneyland ended in disaster Friday afternoon, when her Mercedes hit another car as the paparazzi chased her.

According to eyewitnesses, the star was driving near the tourist attraction's entrance with two pals, when she swerved to get away from pursuing photographers and hit another vehicle containing a woman and her two young daughters.

An onlooker says, "The front of Scarlett's Mercedes damaged the side of the other car pretty badly. Scarlett looked really shaken up and when both cars pulled over in a safe spot, she apologized profusely to the other woman. After that, they spent around 40 minutes on their phones, sorting out all of their insurance and legal paperwork." A Mercedes representative arrived soon afterwards with a new car for the actress to drive home. Johansson's publicist Marcel Pariseau states, "The fender bender was induced by the paparazzi, who chased her for 45 minutes."

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Don Cheadle has finally visited "Hotel Rwanda."

The 40-year-old actor toured the Hotel des Milles Collines in Rwanda's capital Kigali last month, speaking with several of the more than 1,000 people who were sheltered there during the country's 1994 genocide by manager Paul Rusesabagina, the character portrayed by Cheadle in the film.

"All of their experiences were the stuff of epic films — things they had to go through in those 100 days," Cheadle told The Associated Press in an interview this week. "It was amazing."

Cheadle, who earned an Oscar nomination for "Hotel Rwanda," had never seen the hotel because last year's film was shot primarily in South Africa. Through the movie, however, he developed a new passion for the vast continent. "I felt drawn to that area, and felt drawn in any way I can to bringing attention to the place, and any way that I can," he said.

During his 2 1/2-week visit in late July, he met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, attended the premiere of "Hotel Rwanda" in Uganda and toured displaced-person camps in the country's northern provinces. More than 1.5 million Ugandans have fled their homes to avoid a campaign of murder, rape and abduction waged by rebel group Lord's Resistance Army. Cheadle met with young girls who said they were taken as wives by rebel soldiers.

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Pamela Anderson is following in the footsteps of her ex-husband Tommy Lee and former fiance Kid Rock - by becoming a singer.

The former Baywatch actress, who already counts novelist, fashion designer and animal rights activist as a few of her many titles, has recorded a track with fellow Canadian Bryan Adams - and she's impressed with the results.

She says, "Bryan Adams is a friend of mine and Canadian. He talked me into recording a song with him. We went to the Chateau Marmont (in Hollywood) and hung out for a while."

"He said he wanted me to do a harmony on one of his songs called When You're Gone. I actually sang with him and it didn't sound bad. I'm surprised... I really loved it and had a really good time. It comes out in October on his Anthology album."

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