HOLLYWOOD - Cox-Arquette Becomes a Mom
Friends star Courteney Cox Arquette and her actor husband David Arquette welcomed their first child, a girl named Coco, Sunday in Los Angeles, People magazine reported. Cox, who turned 40 last Tuesday, checked into the hospital on Saturday, a week before the baby's due date and was in labor through the night. After years of trying, Cox and Arquette, 32, publicly discussed their attempts to start a family, including in vitro fertilizations and Cox's miscarriages.
Croc Hunter Irwin Makes Whale of a Blunder
Leaving the crocs alone for the moment, Crocodile Hunter host Steve Irwin apparently crossed the line with environmentalists after he went swimming with two whales off the coast of Antarctica and got too close to penguins and seals while sitting on an iceberg, The Associated Press reports. The exuberant Australian entertainer said he had only climbed onto the iceberg after his suit ripped while his company was filming the whales. "My dry suit had ripped, so it was leaking water... so I grabbed hold of the iceberg and I'm sitting on the iceberg while these whales are just all over us," he told AP. Australian environmental authorities are investigating allegations that he breached regulations governing how close people can get to wildlife in the Antarctic. This incident follows Irwin's stunt in January when he stunned onlookers feeding a crocodile while holding his infant son.
Godfather of Soul Pleads Guilty
James Brown pleaded guilty Monday to a domestic violence charge stemming from an argument with his wife and was let off with a $1,087 fine, AP reports. The 71-year-old Brown was arrested in January and accused of pushing his wife, Tomi Rae Brown, to the floor and threatening to kill her.
Ailing Anna Nicole Smith Makes Appearance
Despite suffering from two broken ribs, Anna Nicole Smith attended an AIDS benefit for children Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., AP reports. Smith said she was "very much in pain" when she arrived in Lincoln. But, she said, "I love children. I'm doing this for the kids." Smith broke her ribs in a fall from a watercraft while filming The Anna Nicole Show.
Combs Still Out of Raisin
Complaining of a stomach ailment, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs had to bow out during Saturday's intermission of A Raisin in the Sun, in which he stars on Broadway with Tony winner Phylicia Rashad. AP reports understudy Billy Eugene Jones filled in for Combs for the rest of that performance as well as again on Sunday. Combs, 34, hopes to return Tuesday to Raisin, in which he portrays a frustrated limousine driver, the play's spokesman said.
The WB's Levin Ankles CEO Post
Jordan Levin has resigned his post as CEO of the WB, Variety reports, after being asked to take a reduced role at the net. WB chairman Garth Ancier will now serve as the sole head of the network and is expected to name a president of entertainment. Insiders told Variety producer David Janollari (HBO's Six Feet Under) has emerged as the leading contender to get the gig.
Rush Limbaugh's Third Marriage Ends in Divorce
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said Friday he and his third wife, Marta, had mutually decided to end their 10-year marriage, Reuters reports. It was not immediately clear whether either party had formally filed for divorce. Limbaugh, 53, and his third wife, a former journalism student, were married in 1994 at the home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in a ceremony carried out by Thomas himself. In October of last year, Limbaugh admitted to becoming addicted to prescription painkillers he took for back pain and has since come under investigation by prosecutors in Palm Beach County, Florida, where he lives, over allegations of illegal doctor shopping for painkillers. He has not been charged.
Glen Campbell's Sentencing Postponed
Country music singer Glen Campbell, who pleaded guilty last month to extreme drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident, got his sentence delayed so he could perform Sunday at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn., the AP reports. He had been scheduled to appear in court Monday to be sentenced to 10 days in jail. According to his plea agreement, Campbell will be eligible for work leave after 48 hours and is expected to serve 75 hours of community service. Campbell was arrested in November near his Phoenix home after leaving the scene of a minor traffic accident. While in custody, he allegedly kneed a police officer. Police said breath tests on the singer showed he had a 0.20 blood-alcohol level at the time of his arrest. The legal limit for Arizona drivers is 0.08.
Role Call:
Andy Serkis, the man behind Lord of the Rings's Gollum, is reuniting with director Peter Jackson to become the man behind the monster in King Kong. Like he did for Gollum, Serkis will provide motion capture reference for the character of King Kong, who will eventually be realized as a completely computer-generated creature in Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic. Serkis joins Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody in the cast.
Guylaine Cadorette contributed to this report.