Paris Hilton: 'Spears is a great mother'

Paris Hilton has defended Britney Spears' skills as a mother during an interview on US TV.

The US socialite said the media should leave the troubled popstar alone because she is a "great girl".

"I wish the best for her and I just wish everyone would leave her alone so she could live her life," Hilton told E! News.

"She's a great mother and a great girl and I really care about her. She's a very sweet girl and I love her to death."

Hilton became close friends with Spears following the singer's marriage split from Kevin Federline in 2006.

Spears is currently banned from visiting her two children Jayden James and Sean Preston following her hospitalisation earlier this month.

Ledger had 6 types of prescription drugs

Six different types of prescription drugs were found in Heath Ledger's apartment - including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills - though the cause of his death won't be known for several days after a preliminary autopsy Wednesday was inconclusive, authorities said.

A rolled-up $20 bill was also found on the floor near the Australian actor's bed, but lab tests detected no traces of drug residue. Police also said no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Among the prescription medications found were pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, and an antihistamine, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe, the sources said.

The $20 bill was found on the floor near Ledger's bed, and New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said lab tests found nothing to indicate it had been used to snort drugs.

The Australian-born actor was found dead Tuesday by his housekeeper and a massage therapist - lying naked and face-down on his bed, police said. The pills were found in bottles in Ledger's bedroom and bathroom, and police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said the autopsy on the 28-year-old actor was inconclusive and that more would be known in about 10 days, when more tests were completed.

Police said Ledger probably died Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. At 1 p.m., the housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard him snoring.

At 2:45 p.m., the massage therapist showed up for Ledger's appointment, knocked on his door and got no answer. She later noticed Ledger was unconscious and called Mary-Kate Olsen, whose number was programmed into Ledger's cell phone, to seek advice.

Olsen said she would send over her private security. In the ensuing moments, the massage therapist realized that Ledger might be dead, and called 911. Paramedics - and Olsen's security people - arrived minutes later.

News of the death stunned family, fans and colleagues.

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," said Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain." "He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking."

Lee Daniels, who produced the critically acclaimed "Monster's Ball" in which Ledger starred, strongly disputed any notion that Ledger had a drug problem.

"The definition of substance abuse is really up to one's perspective," Daniels said. "I didn't see him as a drug addict. I saw him as someone who enjoyed life. I know drug addicts, he was not a drug addict."

He said he saw Ledger a couple months ago and that he was in great spirits. "He was in a good mood, he was in a great place ... he was excited about living in New York."

Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived in Brooklyn with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams in a four-story, sage-green brownstone with a black wrought-iron fence. Yellow tulips with red stripes were among the bouquets left by well-wishers Wednesday.

At the Brawta Caribbean Cafe two blocks from the residence, owner Jennifer Ewers said Ledger was a frequent guest who always ordered jerk chicken, rice and beans, and sorrel.

"He was a perfect gentleman. He comes in here with his hoodie on, reads a book, and gives you a peace sign," she said. "He was always with his daughter, playing hide-and-seek among the plants, or on his skateboard, peeking his head in."

Speaking in Australia, Ledger's father called the death "tragic, untimely and accidental."

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life," Kim Ledger said. "Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."

Fans left flowers and candles Wednesday outside Ledger's apartment in the tony SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan on Wednesday. Khaled Ali, 41, a stage manager for a Broadway show, dropped off a candle on his way to work, saying he and fellow cast members were devastated.

"I felt a connection with him as an actor, as a fellow in the theater community," he said. "With `Brokeback Mountain' he touched me personally in telling the story of my community. It was very touching."

Ledger was known for grueling, intense roles that became his trademark after he got his start in teen movies like "10 Things I Hate About You." Thereafter, he avoided the easy path in favor of roles that forced him to bury his Australian accent and downplay his leading-man looks: the tormented gay cowboy Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain"; a drug addict in "Candy"; an incarnation of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There."

Playing the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie "The Dark Knight," may be his final finished performance.

Ledger split last year with Williams, who played his wife in "Brokeback." The two had a daughter, the now 2-year-old Matilda. Early Wednesday, Williams and Matilda left Trollhattan, Sweden, where the 27-year-old actress had been shooting scenes for the upcoming film "Mammoth," said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.

"She received the news at her hotel late last night," Stromberg said, adding he had not spoken to the actress after she learned of Ledger's death.

The actor's personal strife was accompanied by professional anxiety. He said in a November interview that "Dark Knight" and "I'm Not There" took a toll.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told The New York Times. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour.

A day after Ledger's death, at least six TV satellite trucks were parked on the block or around the corner from his Manhattan apartment, with a stream of TV reporters doing their standups. There were bouquets, letters and candles piled in front of the building.

A handwritten letter on plain white paper anchored by votive candles read:

"Heath, how could anyone hate 10 things about you. We couldn't find one bad thing about you. God bless your soul, you're in our prayers."

Lindsay Lohan to tell life story

Lindsay Lohan has reportedly begun t write an autobiography in a bid to raise cash.

The 21-year-old actress is rumored to be in financial difficulties after blowing through her $7 million fortune on drugs, alcohol and rehab. She is penning her memoirs, hoping the book will become a bestseller.

A source said, "She regrets all the cash she threw around the last couple years. She needs everything to fall into place and get her back on track, and fast."

It was recently reported that Lohan has been asking friends for loans.

Lohan's extravagant spending spree reportedly included $1 million on a single hotel bill.

Her three stints in rehab as she battled drug and alcohol addiction racked up a bills totaling more than $137,000. She also owes thousands more in legal fees for her driving under the influence charge.

Lohan reportedy has spent more than $1 million on clothes and $500,000 on partying, with another $70,000 spent in tanning and hair salons.

She was also forced her to sell her $2.85 million Los Angeles apartment and her $1 million New York property because she couldn't afford the mortgage payments.

Heath Ledger's family pays tribute to 'most amazing old soul'

Heath Ledger's family remembered the actor as "the most amazing old soul' in a young man's body." In a separate tribute, his sister said she could "hardly breathe" as she tried to write about "my little brother."

"As a close knit and very private family we have observed you so determined yet quietly travelling in your self-styled path in life, nothing would get in your way ... no mountain too tall, no river too wide," the family said in a death notice published Friday in The West Australian.

"You dreamed your dreams and lived them with passion and intelligent commitment. We have been privileged to accompany you on a ride through life that has simply been amazing and through it all we have loved each other beyond imagination," the notice added. "Our hearts are broken."

In a separate notice, Ledger's father Kim wrote: "Heatho, Beef ... my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent ... so no more chess games mate ... this is it, couldn't beat you anyway.

"We were one, in soul and commitment, just ... father and son."

The actor's sister, Kate, said she could "hardly breathe" as she tried to write her tribute.

"We were the ultimate soul mates," she said.

"You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother. You will never leave my thoughts, Roast', ever."

Ledger's mother, Sally Ledger-Bell, said the family would always be there for his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, whose mother, actress Michelle Williams, was separated from the actor.

The newspaper said the notice had been posted by Ledger's family, who were flying to the U.S. from Australia and could not be reached for comment.

The 28-year-old actor was found dead in his New York apartment Tuesday, where police also found several bottles of prescription drugs. Authorities suspect a possible overdose, but toxicology tests have not yet determined the exact cause of death.

The actor's body was taken to the Frank E. Campbell funeral home in New York for a private viewing. Neither Ledger's family nor his U.S.-based publicist, Mara Buxbaum, have confirmed any details about the funeral or burial arrangements.

Blogger Perez Hilton wins $85,000 in lawsuit brought by Lindsay Lohan pal

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is entitled to nearly $85,000 to pay his legal costs in a defamation lawsuit brought by a friend of actress Lindsay Lohan, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, also can receive an additional $2,000 if he requests it, Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said.

"Perez Hilton will take steps to make sure every dime is collected," said his lawyer, Bryan Freedman.

"This should make one careful before filing a lawsuit against him."

Samantha Ronson, who sued Hilton last year, was a passenger in Lohan's car when it crashed into a tree in Beverly Hills in May. She sued Hilton for repeating on his website a report from another site stating she planted cocaine that was found in Lohan's car.

The judge removed Hilton from the lawsuit last November after the blogger's lawyers argued he was protected by free speech rights.

Ronson's lawyer, David Bass, unsuccessfully argued Hilton's lawyers' fees were excessive and he should get no more than $13,400 to recover his legal costs.

Bass said Wednesday he was considering whether to take further legal action.

"We would like an opportunity for the court to consider all the facts," he said.

Britney Spears out of hospital: reports

Britney Spears left a hospital on Saturday where she was admitted following a confrontation at her home, which ended in a fit of hysterics by the troubled pop star, several media outlets reported.

A number of celebrity Web sites said Spears was visited Saturday by Dr. Phil McGraw, who counsels people on his popular television program, "The Dr. Phil Show."

A spokeswoman for the hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, declined comment citing patient confidentiality, and a representative for McGraw could not be reached.

Spears, 26, was hospitalized on Friday when trouble erupted between her and representatives of her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, who went to Spears' home to pick up their two young sons from a weekend visitation.

The pop singer, who spent much of 2007 in and out of alcohol and drug rehab and battling legal problems, became hysterical, was taken from her home on a stretcher and transported to Cedars-Sinai via ambulance, television and Web sites reported.

Federline's attorneys went to a Los Angeles family court on Friday and obtained a ruling that suspended Spears' visitation rights to her two sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, until January 14.



On Saturday, celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported that Spears was demanding to leave the hospital, and that she might appear on "The Dr. Phil Show" on Monday.

Web sites for celebrity TV shows "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" reported that McGraw walked Spears to her car. The New York Post's PageSix.com cited a "family insider" as saying Spears had "a complete nervous breakdown."

None of the reports could be confirmed.

Spears lost primary custody of her sons to Federline after her life spun out of control following their divorce in November 2006.

Since then, she has spent time in rehab, been charged with hit-and-run driving and exhibited unusual behavior.

Spears is currently undergoing court-ordered random drug and alcohol tests and parenting lessons.

She became a teen pop phenomenon in the 1990s. In October, she made her musical comeback with the single, "Gimme More," and an album, "Blackout," that briefly hit No. 2 on the U.S. pop album charts.

Lindsay Lohan falls off the wagon, again!

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan fell off the sobriety wagon on New Year's Eve, her lawyer has said, ending a year that saw the star check into rehab several times and land in jail for drunken driving and cocaine possession.




The 21-year-old Lohan was captured on video, posted on celebrity Web site TMZ.com, sipping from a champagne bottle in Italy where she was honored at the Capri Film Festival. "After being handed a champagne bottle while on a dance floor in Italy on New Year's Eve and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay immediately stopped, called her sponsor, and got herself back on track," lawyer Blair Berk said in a statement.



"There is no magic cure here. Unfortunately, Lindsay has to share her 'one day at a time' with the entire world," Berk said.

Lohan rose to fame as a child star in Disney movies such as "The Parent Trap" and "Freaky Friday."

As a young adult, she gained a reputation as an up-and-coming actress in films such as "Bobby" and "A Prairie Home Companion." In December 2006, she said she had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for about a year, then in January 2007 she checked in for a month in rehab.

In May, Lohan checked into rehab for another six weeks after being arrested for driving under the influence when she crashed her car.

Shortly after completing rehab in July, Lohan was arrested for a second time, this time on charges of drunken driving and cocaine possession.

She checked into rehab for a third time, spending two months at a center in Utah.

Britney Spears and Adrian Ghalib spotted at Daily Grill in Palm Desert

Britney Spears was spotted in Palm Desert on Sunday enjoying breakfast and a morning cocktail just one day after she was reportedly released from a psychiatric ward, according to national newspapers and magazines.

Spears was reportedly dining with photographer boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, 35, at the Daily Grill, 73-061 El Paseo at 10 a.m. drinking a mimosa, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The restaurant's manager declined to comment to The Desert Sun on Sunday.

During breakfast, 26-year-old Spears was even reported to have gone "to the restroom with her champagne flute," as Ghalib "stood outside the door," according to Us Weekly Magazine.

Spears, who has been in and out of rehab while in the midst of a custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline over their two sons, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Jan. 3.

Paramedics reportedly took her to the center because of a dispute with Federline, according to the Associated Press.

This isn't the first time Spears has been spotted in the desert this year.

Spears and Ghalib reportedly checked into the Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs on Jan. 2, according to Us Magazine.

Spears was also the talk of the red carpet at Saturday night's Palm Springs International Film Festival gala, the Associated Press reported.

"I feel bad, you know, because everyone kind of judges her and splatters her business everywhere," said Ellen Page, who appeared in the film "Juno." "No one goes, 'Why is this happening?' They just judge and judge and judge. It's too bad."

Amanda Bynes, who acted in "Hairspray" and TV's "What I Like About You," said she sympathized with Spears.

"I think that this business just does weird things to people, and I think that it's sad," Bynes said. "They get wrapped up in the hoopla and the hair and the makeup, the shopping, the paparazzi and the trying to be famous. That's not what it's about. It's about doing what you love."

Lindsay Lohan beds Italian six hours after meeting him

A LUCKY rock drummer has told how he bumped into Hollywood babe Lindsay Lohan... and she DRAGGED him to her bed.

Wildchild Lindsay, 21, threw herself at stunned stranger Alessandro diNunzio in a bar at the Capri Film Festival.

First she invited him to a gala dinner and DEMANDED he kiss her. Then she led him back to her hotel room.

And less than six hours after they they met she suddenly STRIPPED off all her clothes and treated him to a night of naked red-hot lust.

"He grinned: "Lindsay was very, very good and surprisingly experienced. She wanted to do everything, every position. She was extremely flexible and adventurous."

But he discovered he was just one of THREE conquests Lindsay made during her 24 hours on the Italian island.

Alessandro, 27, who lives in Rome, said: "I was hurt and sad when I found out about the other guys.

"I think that's the way things are with Lindsay. But she was very sweet and loving in bed. It was a good sex match."



Alessandro, an ex-model who plays the drums in up-and-coming Italian indie rock band Orfen, was working at the film festival as a sound engineer.

He first spotted Herbie: Fully Loaded star Lindsay when they travelled on the same hydrofoil from Naples to Capri on December 28—but had no idea who she was.

He said: "She was wearing huge dark sunglasses—and she spent the entire journey turning to look over at me. When I went outside for a cigarette, she followed.

"She just kept staring at me. It was unnerving and I went back inside."

Alessandro did not see the mystery girl again until 8pm—when he was in a square. He said: "I spotted her in a bar with two friends and she beckoned me to come over.

"She introduced herself as Lindsay. It was only at the end of our conversation I suddenly clicked I was talking to Lindsay Lohan. I almost collapsed."

Lindsay—who was in rehab last year—was then picked up to attend an awards ceremony.

But Alessandro said: "I couldn't believe it when she asked if I could come to the dinner afterwards. I was proud to accompany her—then she invited me to a couple of clubs with her two friends. Despite her recent troubles she was downing alcohol—vodka cranberry and vodka soda.

"All of a sudden, she pressed up close, looked me in the eyes and asked if she could kiss me. It was a strange role-reversal and it took me aback.

"But I came to my senses and kissed her. We did nothing but kiss in the club after that. She didn't care who was watching." The pair then went back to her hotel, The Marriott, at 2.30am.



Alessandro said: "I never imagined in my wildest dreams we would end up in bed. We spent a long time talking, lying side by side on top of her bed.

"She told me about her problems with drugs and alcohol. She said she was trying to get over them and that she'd spent time in a rehab clinic but didn't want to talk too much about that.

"She kept telling me she liked me because I was "a good boy"—I don't smoke or take drugs. She said she was falling for me, she liked me.

"I liked her too. The thing that struck me most about her was her intelligence—I found her very lucid and bright."

Suddenly, in mid-conversation, Lindsay jumped off the bed. Alessandro said: "She stripped off completely naked, without any embarrassment at all.

"She was wearing mismatched under-wear—a black bra with emerald green French knickers. But they came off too. Naked, she took my breath away. Lindsay is stunning. Her body is absolutely perfect. Flawless.

"She had an all-over golden tan and a few tattoos. On her right wrist was the word Breathe. She joked it was to remind her to keep breathing. That made me think she was pretty fragile.

"After boldly taking her clothes off she dived under the covers. I sensed she was insecure about her gorgeous body.

"I was shocked she had made the first move—it took a while for me to realise I was supposed to take my clothes too.

"To be honest I felt a bit intimidated. I was with Lindsay Lohan. But I took off my clothes and we started to make love. And then it was just like two ordinary people making love. It was very passionate and intense and lasted for 1hours, maybe more.

"She adored kissing and never wanted to stop—no matter what we were doing. We had safe sex, and afterwards she cuddled up to me and we went to sleep."

The next morning, Alessandro got up at 9am and got dressed. He said: "I had things to do. She told me, ‘Bye, I'll call you.'

That afternoon, when he was in Rome, she sent him the first of several messages. She wanted to spend New Year's Eve in the city and asked him to show her around.

But she failed to turn up, saying she had a sprained ankle. Then on Wednes-day she summoned him to room 107 of the Villa Flora hotel where she was staying.

Alessandro said: "We kissed but we didn't have sex again and I didn't spend the night there because she said she was tired. We had a nice evening though.

"We went to a few clubs with some of her movie friends from LA. The day before she left Italy, on January 4, she sent me a text saying, ‘Miss you'."




He then discovered he had not been the only object of Lindsay's affections at the festival. She was caught snogging Italian actor Eduardo Costa at her hotel a few hours before making love to Alessandro.

And soon after he left her bed, she was smooching with long-haired local thespian Dario Faiella, the son of music legend Peppino di Capri. She spent the next two nights with him.

Gutted Alessandro said: "I don't think I will see her again now that I have learned that she was seeing other guys at the same time as she was seeing me.

"But I'm going to watch all of her films—even though really I'd prefer to see her again in real life."

Lindsay Lohan sip was slip, lawyer says

On the road to sobriety, it seems Lindsay Lohan hit a speed bump.

She fell off the wagon this New Year's Eve, but her lawyer tells People magazine she is now "back on track."

A video obtained by The Associated Press shows the recently rehabbed actress taking a swig from a champagne bottle while in Capri, Italy."After being handed a champagne bottle .... and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay stopped herself, called her sponsor and got herself back on track," her lawyer, Blair Berk, is quoted as saying. "There is no magic cure here. The most unfortunate part of this is that Lindsay has to share her 'one day at a time' with the entire world."

Lohan was in Italy to receive an award at the 12th Annual Capri Hollywood International Film Festival.

Lohan pleaded guilty in August to misdemeanor drunken driving and cocaine charges in two arrests earlier in the year.

She served 84 minutes in jail in November. She also was sentenced to 3 years of probation, required to complete an 18-month alcohol-education program and spend 30 days in a residential rehabilitation.

Britney Spears child custody suspended after hospital drama

Britney Spears was stripped of access to her two baby boys here Friday, a day after the troubled singer was rushed to hospital on a stretcher amid fears for her health.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Spears' children to be placed in the sole care of the singer's ex-husband Kevin Federline, suspending the pop star's visitation rights until "further order of the court."

A hearing has been set for January 14 which will determine how their bitter custody battle is to proceed.

The court ruling came after a dramatic 24 hours for Spears, the fallen pop princess who has rarely been out of the tabloid headlines over the past year following a string of bizarre incidents.

On Thursday she was wheeled out of her Los Angeles mansion on a stretcher and taken to the Cedars Sinai hospital for evaluation following a three-hour custody standoff.

Spears had reportedly refused to release her children Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one, to Federline's bodyguard.

Video footage of the aftermath of the incident showed Spears alternately smiling and looking distraught as she was lifted into an ambulance.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jason Lee said Spears was being detained and evaluated in hospital because officers had found her under the influence of an unknown substance.



People magazine reported on its website Friday that Spears had been placed under a 72-hour lock down for evaluation at Cedars Sinai known as a "5150".

Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said he took no satisfaction for the court ruling in his client's favour.

"I am not happy about anything that has happened recently," he told reporters. "There are no winners right now."

Spears, one of the most successful pop stars of her generation, has been embroiled in a toxic custody battle with Federline ever since the couple separated in late 2006.

A judge limited the pop star's access to her children in October after she failed to submit to random drug testing as demanded at an earlier hearing, where the court ruled Spears was a "habitual and continuous" drug user.

Earlier Thursday, Spears began a court-ordered deposition in the custody case after missing several appointments to do so, but appeared for questioning by Federline's lawyer so late that it lasted only 13 minutes, US magazine reported.

The day before, her lawyers had requested to leave her case, citing "a breakdown in communications" with Spears that made "further representation of her interests impossible."

The court-room drama rumbled throughout a difficult year for Spears that saw her in the news for all the wrong reasons.

She was repeatedly photographed in nightspots wearing no underwear and was also captured bizarrely shaving her head in a hair salon and attacking a photographer's car with an umbrella.



Those episodes were followed by a stint in a rehabilitation treatment center.

In September Spears attempted to resurrect her career but suffered a critical savaging after a live performance at the Video Music Awards.

Nevertheless the release of her first album in four years in October, "Blackout," offered Spears some encouragement with critics broadly hailing the work as a success.

But Spears' family was back in the headlines again last month when it emerged that the singer's 16-year-old sister, the star of a popular US television children's show, was pregnant.

Spears shot to superstardom in late 1998, with her smash-hit debut album "Baby One More Time" which she followed with another chart-topping success the following year, "Oops! ... I Did It Again."

According to Time magazine, Spears has sold over 76 million records worldwide, and her 31 million albums sold in the United States make her the eighth best-selling female artist in US music history.

Broke Lindsay Lohan asks friends for loans

Lindsay Lohan is so broke she has been asking friends for loans.

The 'Mean Girls' star has reportedly blown her entire $7 million fortune on drugs, alcohol and rehab and has resorted to begging close pals for money.

A source told the New York Daily News newspaper, "Lindsay has been openly asking her friends for handouts. She has nothing to spend."

A separate source added, "Lindsay has been unofficially promoting Ariva, by making sure she is photographed carrying the quit-smoking tobacco lozenge wherever she goes. They have officially denied she is their new spokesmodel, but they privately paid her a mid-five figure sum this week."

Lindsay's extravagant spending spree reportedly included $1 million on just one hotel bill.

She has also spent more than $137,000 on three separate stints in rehab battling her drug and alcohol addictions, and thousands more in legal fees for her DUI charge.

Lindsay is also thought to have blown more than $1 million on clothes and $500,000 on partying, with another $70,000 spent in tanning and hair salons.

She has been forced her to sell her $2.85 million Los Angeles apartment and her $1 million New York property because she couldn't afford the mortgage payments.

The 21-year-old actress is in such financial strife she allegedly tried to sell photographs of her family Thanksgiving dinner last year.

Lindsay Lohan videoed drinking on New Year's Eve

Lindsay Lohan was videoed drinking champagne from the bottle on New Year's Eve.

Lohan was filmed glugging straight from the bottle at an event in Italy where she received an award at the 12th Annual Capri Hollywood International Film Festival.

The 'Mean Girls' star has been in rehab three times following two arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of cocaine in May and July 2007.

Lindsay's lawyer Blair Berk said, "After being handed a champagne bottle while on a dance floor in Italy on New Year's Eve and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay immediately stopped, called her sponsor, and got herself back on track.

"There is no magic cure here. Unfortunately, Lindsay has to share her 'one day at a time' with the entire world."

Meanwhile, Lindsay - who was recently voted the worst actress of 2007 in an online poll - may face problems with her new movie 'Dare To Love Me' as it is suffering from financial difficulties.

Executive Producer Gary Hamilton said, "There's no problem with Lindsay from our perspective. It's just trying to finance this film, which is a separate issue."

Britney Spears on suicide watch

Britney Spears was in hospital on suicide watch last night after holding her two sons hostage in a three-hour custody stand-off with armed police.

Doctors fear Britney, who was stretchered from her Beverly Hills home with restraints on her ankles after finally handing over Sean Preston, two, and 15-month-old Jayden James, may have suffered a complete mental breakdown.

Britney, 26, is now allegedly being kept in hospital under California's Code 5150 - known as the "involuntary psychiatric hold".

This legally enables the authorities to detain someone against their will if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

Use of the 5150 code sparked speculation that the singer had threatened to harm herself or the boys. LA police spokeswoman April Harding refused to comment, but said: "For her own welfare she was transferred to hospital for medical treatment."

Officers were called to Britney's home on Thursday evening after she refused to hand the boys back to aides of her ex-husband Kevin Federline at the end of an official visit.

She is reported to have later barricaded herself and Jayden into a room after allowing Sean to leave with a court-appointed monitor. Police said she seemed to be under the influence of "an unknown substance".

After tense negotiations, during which there were six squad cars, a fire truck and two ambulances at Britney's home while a police helicopter hovered overhead, she agreed to let officers enter.

A source said: "The cops got through the door and tied her down to a stretcher."

The one-time princess of pop was in a pitiful state as she was wheeled from the house and loaded into an ambulance - alternatively laughing hysterically then weeping in despair. Inside the ambulance paramedics seemed to be physically restraining her legs before heading off to LA's Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre with a police escort. As Britney was helped from the ambulance at the hospital she made a one-fingered gesture to waiting photographers.

Legal experts last night said the stand-off had destroyed any hope of Britney winning her vicious custody battle with Kevin Federline.

Federline's lawyers were at an LA court within hours of the siege ending, asking a judge to remove all her visitation rights.

Police were last night awaiting the results of Britney's alcohol and drug tests.

If found positive, she could face charges and be stripped of custody for good. An LA judge has insisted both Britney and Federline, 29, must be drug and alcohol-free while the children are with them.

The showdown came a few hours after Britney gave a long-awaited legal deposition in the custody case.

She arrived at court just after 11.30am - 90 minutes late for a meeting that was due to last two hours. Instead, Britney gave her statement in 14 minutes.

Federline currently has temporary custody of the children while Britney has only limited visits. A judge made the ruling in October after Britney was described as a "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

She was allowed to see her sons only if a court-appointed monitor was present. The visits could be ended if the supervisor decided her behaviour endangered the children.

She was also ordered to have random drug and alcohol testing twice a week but has often failed to do so. Britney later won modified visitation rules that let her have one night a week with the boys.

It is thought Britney will be kept in hospital for at least 72 hours while her mental health is evaluated. A source close to the singer's family yesterday insisted that her blood test had come back clean, adding: "Thank God, there were no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind."

Britney wed Federline in October 2004, three months after they met. They divorced last July.

Lindsay Lohan tops "worst performance" poll

As if 2007 could get any worse for Lindsay Lohan, now this: Moviegoers tagged her with the year's worst performance by an actress.

Fifty-eight percent of voters in an online poll by AOL's Web site Moviefone gave Lohan that dubious honor for her turn as a woman escaping a sadistic killer in the box-office flop, "I Know Who Killed Me."

The poll, which tallied more than 3.8 million votes, had more bad news for the starlet, who recently spent a brief stint in jail for drunken driving and cocaine possession and also attended voluntary rehab.

Another of Lohan's films, "Georgia Rule," finished second among voters for biggest waste of $10 spent on a movie ticket.

The No. 1 biggest waste? "Norbit," a slapstick comedy starring Eddie Murphy, whose performance in the movie was the runaway pick for worst by an actor.

Voters were given five choices in each poll category. Two box-office smashes were voted the most worthy of the price of a ticket: The blood-soaked ancient war epic "300" edged out the sci-fi extravaganza "Transformers," 28 percent to 26 percent.

"Transformers" stars Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf were named best on-screen duo, barely beating out Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, the nerdy leads of the comic coming-of-age romp "Superbad."

"Superbad" made more voters laugh out loud than any other film, registering 37 percent of the tally, ahead of the 28 percent for the bawdy pregnancy comedy "Knocked Up." Both comedy blockbusters were from producer Judd Apatow.

Sexiest babe went to Fox of "Transformers," while hottest hunk went to Johnny Depp, from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Ralph Fiennes' dark turn as Voldemort in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" earned him best male villain honors. Angelina Jolie won best female villain for playing the mother of the demon Grendel in "Beowulf."

Voters gave Matt Damon the nod for best two performances for "Ocean's Thirteen" and "The Bourne Ultimatum," the latter of which easily nabbed year's best sequel.

Britney's former hubby cosying up to Hilton

Britney Spears faced fresh humiliation today as her ex-husband was spotted cosying up to party pal Paris Hilton.

After a traumatic year which saw the Gimme More singer go into complete meltdown, Kevin Federline appears to be growing worryingly close to the jailbird socialite. Britney and Paris, both 26, have been a virtually inseparable sight on the Los Angeles party circuit for the last few months.



But this weekend, the hotel heiress chose to ditch her troubled friend and headed for one of their favourite haunts Lax on her own. If she was feeling lonely, however, the ever-gallant K-Fed quickly rushed to her side to keep her company.

Onlookers said he reportedly became so excited when he caught a glimpse of the pouting property princess he repeatedly shouted her name and then cosied up close to give her a kiss on the cheek. As he whispered intimately into her ear, both of them began giggling.



"It looked as though they were getting quite friendly," one onlooker said. The sight of K-Fed and Paris together is a dismal end to a catastrophic year for Britney.

After months of erratic behaviour, including shaving off all her hair, she divorced the former dancer in July and he now has custody of their sons Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one.



As she celebrated her 26th birthday earlier this month there were rumours that she was pregnant again though the singer has not confirmed the report.

Lawyer wants Spears deposition soon

The lawyer for Kevin Federline says he wants to make troubled singer Britney Spears give sworn evidence soon, the latest step in the former couple's continuing child-custody battle.

"Britney Spears will have her deposition early (next) year," Mark Kaplan said outside a Beverly Hills restaurant.

"We've got a lot to talk about."

Spears, 26, called in sick to a court-ordered deposition on December 12, although she was photographed that day driving with a friend.

"She was, in fact, out later that day and night," Mr Kaplan said. "It's not fourth grade where you get a doctor's note and it's all OK."

Spears and Federline have been wrangling for months over custody of their sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James.

Federline, 29, has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders.

Spears and Federline were married in October 2004 and finalised their divorce in July.

Report: Lindsay Lohan Kisses Three Men in 24 Hours on Italian Island of Capri

Wild child actress Lindsay Lohan showed off her ample pulling skills when she kissed THREE men in one busy 24-hour spell while visiting Capri for a film festival last weekend.

But it is not every man who manages to get lucky enough to make it back to Li-Lo's pad. Only actor Dario Faiella, the son of Italian music legend Peppino Di Capri, headed back to her hotel. But Li-Lo was clearly smitten with her choice, as she showed an undressed Faiella her appreciation with a loving hand on his derriére out on her room balcony.



The Hollywood actress, whose star has been on the wane since a series of embarrassing drunken incidents and spell in rehab, had just finished clocking up three passionate encounters during her trip.

The Mean Girls actress, 21, first met waiter Alessandro Di Nunzio shortly after arriving on the Italian island of Capri for a film festival.

The pair exchanged phone numbers at a film showing which the actress attended with Heroes star and friend Hayden Panettiere, 18.



But she dumped her friend shortly afterwards to meet up with, and lock lips with, Di Nunzio. he pair enjoyed a meal together before getting cosy on a hotel sofa together.

But it seems Lohan has a short memory when it comes to romance - the following day she was being whisked away by another Italian hunk, older actor Eduardo Costa.

Li-Lo, dressed provocatively in a silver foil mini-dress, listened attentively to Costa's jokes, but it was not long before she was snogging again. he older man looked like the cat who got the cream after his passionate embrace with the young star who recently reconciled with her father and is said to be leading a 'healthy' lifestyle.

Her love life is certainly buoyant, as the third of her trio of kisses, local actor Dario Faiella, made it back to her room.




She had been all over him earlier in the evening at a nightclub, snogging him before launching herself on top of him as they got physical on the nightclub sofa.

Lohan is also said to be dating the ex-love of troubled pop star Britney Spears — 28-year-old music producer JR Rotem. Her romantic exploits come after a particularly difficult year for Lindsay Lohan.



She spent weeks in rehab during her second stint in which she gave up drinking alcohol after her arrest for drink-driving in Los Angeles.

After a very promising start to her Hollywood career with producers knocking at her door to sign her up, Lohan won a reputation for being difficult and late on set and has struggled to secure further roles.

Obama Girl, Britney boy top YouTube videos for 2007

Videos by a self-styled Obama Girl, a fan's tearful defense of Britney Spears and an attack by a herd of buffaloes on a pride of lions, were among the most popular clips on YouTube.com in 2007.



But the videos were not just popular because of the millions of times they were seen on the YouTube.com Web site, which allows users to post their homemade videos. The rankings, released by YouTube on Thursday, took into account the most shared, most discussed, top rated and general popularity of clips to determine which ones people were thinking and talking about most.



Among the year's favorites were the Obama Girl video, created by Barely Political, featuring an attractive young singer professing her love for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. It has been viewed more than 4 million times and many more times on television after being featured on news and talk shows.


While it was clear Barely Political was producing political satire in the name of entertainment, Internet surfers might initially have been less certain what Chris Crocker was trying to do in his "Leave Britney Alone" clip in September.

The clip is a close-up of Crocker breaking down in tears as he berates the media and paparazzi for hounding pop singer Spears as she lurched from one tabloid scandal to another.

YouTube said the melodramatic two-minute clip made Crocker an instant YouTube star, has been watched more than 14 million times and is the fourth most-commented-on video in YouTube's history.

In terms of sheer viewer numbers it was an unlikely combination of amateur production values, patience and timing that made an eight-minute video titled "Battle at Kruger" so compelling it has been watched more than 21 million times on YouTube.

The video captured the battle between a herd of water buffaloes, a pride of lions and a crocodile over a young calf.

The clip, filmed by Jason Schlosberg on safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park, has been featured on ABC News and Time magazine. Schlosberg has a documentary coming on the National Geographic Channel next spring based around his original film.

Other popular videos included performances by up and coming singers in their bedrooms, including Esmee Denters from the Netherlands, singing Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around" or Tay Zonday singing an original composition "Chocolate Rain."

A piano playing cat named Nora and otters holding hands also were among the favorites on YouTube, which is owned by search engine company Google Inc.