--As he did last year, Dick Clark will co-host the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve. The former American Bandstand host, now 76, will join Ryan Seacrest and musical guest Christina Aguilera to ring in 2007 before a national TV audience of millions. Clark missed the show two years ago when he suffered a stroke but returned to the holiday staple last New Year's Eve. Seacrest, the 31-year-old host of American Idol, handled co-hosting duties last year and is expected to eventually succeed Clark as the show's host. Clark originated the New Year's Eve program back in 1972. The only show he missed followed his Dec. 6, 2004, stroke.

--Powers Boothe has been elected vice president on Fox's "24." In the recurring role, he will play Noah Daniels, the No. 2 to new U.S. President Wayne Palmer (D.B. Woodside). Powers, who co-starred on HBO's "Deadwood," recently wrapped the indie "The Final Season" opposite Sean Astin.

--Reps for Brad Pitt are seeking trespassing charges against E! Networks after a producer and cameraman allegedly walked onto the actor's property in the Hollywood Hills last week. "Yes, we have filed trespassing charges against E! and are exploring our legal options against both the crew that actually trespassed and the network itself," his rep said.

--Mariah Carey's manager has fired back at reports the final date on the pop superstar's Adventures of Mimi tour was scrapped due to her diva demands and poor ticket sales. Concert Asia promoters posted a message on their website earlier last week, blaming Carey's backstage demands and a lack of interest on the cancellation of the Hong Kong show, which was scheduled for tomorrow. But her manager Benny Medina has hit back in an interview with Associated Press, stating his client didn't behave like a diva and made no wild demands. Medina, who formerly managed Jennifer Lopez, blamed the cancellation on the tour promoter's failure to pay Carey money that was due to her.

--Commuters at Grand Central train station gaped Sunday at a 1,502-pound pumpkin on display, the world's heaviest, according to organizers at the Manhattan transit hub. The pumpkin was on display as part of Halloween charity, and smaller pumpkins were sold to the public for $5 or $10 each, with proceeds going to the Food Bank For New York City, which feeds the hungry, said Karen Weber, a spokeswoman for Grand Central Terminal. (Shoot--I was there on Friday. It must not have been up yet.)

--Michael Jackson is planning to get married to his children's nanny. The singer recently settled the custody battle with his ex-wife, and mother of his two eldest children, Debbie Rowe, and is now free to get on with wedding plans, according to Britain's Daily Star newspaper. Jackson, 48, is currently living in Ireland with 39-year-old nanny Grace Rwaramba who his children reportedly call "mom".

--A copyright case concerning 50 Cent's 'In Da Club' has been dismissed by a judge. 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell claimed that the rapper stole the opening line of 'In Da Club' from Campbell's song 'It's Your Birthday'. However, on Friday Judge Paul Huck ruled that the line of Campbell's song ("Go Shelia, it's your birthday") was a "common, unoriginal and non-copyrightable element of the song" which was not entitled to protection.

--Clay Aiken is about to enter a world of back-stabbing, scandal and diva fits — and no, it’s not backstage at “American Idol.” He’s taping an appearance on NBC’s “Days of our Lives.” The 27-year-old Aiken will perform two songs, one from his new album “A Thousand Different Ways,” and “O Holy Night” from his 2004 CD “Merry Christmas with Love,” the soap opera’s spokeswoman, Kellie Kulikowsky, told The Associated Press. He’ll take the stage for a private concert for Steve (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) at the club Dune in the town of Salem. The episode is scheduled to air Dec. 22. (They couldn't find anyone better to croon to Patch and Kayla? Ugh...)

--Rumor has it that Seventeen magazine wouldn't put Paris Hilton on their December cover unless she agreed to appear in a full-page public service ad against drunken driving.

--Bill Cosby continues to spark controversy...

-- Devon Aoki can do no wrong in the eyes of her dad, Benihana founder Rocky Aoki - even when it comes to guys. New York magazine reports that when Devon started dating 30-something Lenny Kravitz around her 18th birthday, "I say to her, 'No problem,' " Aoki said. "She says, 'He's half-black, half-Jewish.' I say, 'That's OK. That's America! I can't get away from the blacks and the Jews!' " The mag also credits Page Six for noting that Devon was "hotter than a Benihana grill."

--Shockingly enough, no one in New York wants to hear Kevin Federline rap. Our spies at Webster Hall say that so few $20 tickets have been sold for Federline's Nov. 4 show that "we may just cancel it. New Yorkers are clearly not fans of 'Popozao' [Federline's pathetic first single]." Britney Spears' hubby - who claims he is the most underrated person in Hollywood - should be used to rejection by now. His Cleveland show was also canceled due to lack of interest.

--Sources say that Nicole Richie passed out at Hyde nightclub early Sunday morning in Hollywood. It occurred just before 2 a.m., when Richie passed out and fell to the floor. An employee approached Richie and her friends and said he was calling 911. Sources say they told the employee not to make the call and that they would take Richie to a hospital. The friends then carried Richie out of the club through the back door.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 06:54 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 946 words, total size 8 kb.