CELEBRITY GOSSIP

PARIS HILTON BANNED FROM LAS VEGAS HOTELS: In the wake of her recent arrest for cocaine possession, Paris Hilton has been banned from the Las Vegas resorts Wynn and Encore. It was recently reported that Paris's boyfriend Cy Waits -- who was also arrested that night -- was fired by Wynn, where he had been employed as Co-Chief of Nightlife Operations. Paris is continuing to deny, deny, deny. Her latest tweet? "These rumors going around are so ridiculous, untrue and cruel. I'm not going to even pay attention to them because I know the truth."

JON GOSSELIN DENIES HE TRIED TO EXTORT MONEY FROM KATE: Jon Gosselin's ex-girlfriend claims that he tried to extort money from ex-wife Kate, threatening to report her to Child Protective Services (CPS) unless she paid him. Hailey Glassman told RadarOnline.com that after his daughter Maddy hurt her arm, Jon planned to tell CPS that Kate caused the injury by yanking on the arm. Although she provided a note allegedly written by Jon, he denied the claim, saying, "Radaronline has been duped again by Hailey Glassman, who is apparently without a job and desperate for money. This article contains so many lies, they are too numerous to count. It is completely false and without any merit."

NICOLAS CAGE SETTLES LAWSUIT: Nicolas Cage has settled a lawsuit with his former accountant. Cage had filed suit against Samuel Levin in October of 2009, claiming the business manager misled him and overcharged for his services in the wake of a $6.26 million tax lien filed against Cage by the IRS. Levin then countersued, claiming Cage was solely to blame for his problems. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

JOHN TRAVOLTA GAY RUMORS SURFACE: Prior to the birth of his new son, rumors are again spreading that John Travolta has had gay relationships. A source told the National Enquirer, "John Travolta has been cheating on Kelly for years! And when the details emerge, he's gonna make Tiger Woods look like a boy scout." The tabloid claims that Travolta has been a participant in Hollywood's "secret gay spa subculture," where the actor has engaged in "lewd sex acts with other men" on several occasions.

JODIE SWEETIN GIVES BIRTH: Jodie Sweetin is now the mother of two little girls. The former Full House star and her boyfriend Morty Coyle welcomed a daughter named Beatrix on Tuesday (August 31st). The 28-year-old has a two-year-old named Zoie with her ex-husband Cody Herpin. Coyle confirmed the birth of Beatrix -- who they're calling "Bea" -- to People magazine, saying, "Jodie was amazing and is doing great. We are now the proud, excited parents of Miss Beatrix Carlin Sweetin Coyle. We're already madly in love with Beatrix and are so grateful for the support from our family and friends. And we can't wait for her big sister Zoie to meet her."

BRIDGET HALL ARRESTED: Bridget Hall was arrested in New York on Sunday (August 29th) on suspicion of drunk driving. The New York Post reports that the 32-year-old model was stopped by police in the Hamptons. She was detained on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and later released on her own recognizance.

INDUSTRY NEWS

HARVEY KEITEL ON 'THE OFFICE'? The Office's executive producer Paul Lieberstein wants Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell on the show. He told E!, "He's probably the only guy who can do it, and he's doing TV now," referring to his stint on Life on Mars. He noted, "I haven't started any talks with his people, but Harvey would do a great job -- a very different energy. And we don't want to bring in another Michael, having someone play a very similar character because we have such a high regard for Steve."

'KISS-ASS' GETTING A SEQUEL: Kick-Ass is reportedly getting the sequel treatment. Mark Millar, one of the comic book writers whose work inspired the film, told a UK radio station that there will indeed be a sequel to the film. Although the movie wasn't a run-away hit at the box office, he said DVD sales have made the studio agree to a second go-round.

MARISKA HARGITAY CROSSES OVER TO 'LAW & ORDER: L.A.': Mariska Hargitay is lending her presence to the upcoming Law & Order spin-off based in L.A. The SVU star told EOnline.com at the Emmys, "I got to work with them yesterday. They have an incredible cast. I think it's going to be strong right out of the gate." Although her co-star Christopher Meloni says he hasn't shot with the new cast yet -- the original show crossed over to help them out at the beginning too. He explained, "The mother ship did the same thing with us when we were starting out to give us a little lift. That's all we really needed, a little push."

CELEBS ANNOUNCED FOR 'STEP UP TO CANCER' TELETHON: George Clooney, Will Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the stars who will be taking part in the September 10th "Step Up to Cancer" telethon. Other celebrities participating include Denzel Washington, Renee Zellweger, Kathy Bates and Richard Branson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lance Armstrong and Elizabeth Edwards. Performers will include Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Neil Diamond, The Edge, Herbie Hancock, Lady Antebellum, Leona Lewis, Queen Latifah, Martina McBride and Stevie Wonder. The telethon will be simulcast commercial-free from 8 to 9 p.m. by ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC as well as a variety of cable channels.

'AMERICAN IDOL' REJECT FILES NEW SUIT AGAINST THE SHOW: Ian Benardo, the American Idol reject who stormed the stage during May's finale, has withdrawn his $300 million lawsuit against the show's producers -- but replaced it with a new, $100 million suit in which he claims workplace discrimination and sexual harassment. In July, he filed papers with the New York State Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that he was told to interrupt Dane Cook by Idol bosses who invited him back for the finale and asked him to be "outrageous" and "gay."

'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PAIRINGS ANNOUNCED

The pairings for Dancing With the Stars have been announced and its serial show romancer Karina Smirnoff who has been given the privilege -- or challenge -- of working with The Situation and his ego. Karina was previously engaged to Maksim Chmerkovskiy and dated her former partner Mario Lopez.

In addition to Karina and Mike, and Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas -- whose pairing was previously announced -- the rest of the cast is as follows:

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower

Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough

David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson

Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas

Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer

Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya

According to the oddsmakers at Bodog.com, Brandy has been pegged as the early favorite, followed by Grey, Patridge and The Situation. At the other end, Florence Henderson is the longest shot, finishing behind Warner and Palin.

'REAL HOUSEWIVES' TERESA REPORTEDLY DEMANDING BIG BUCKS

Reality stars are getting greedy. Teresa Giudice, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star who flipped out during Monday's reunion, is reportedly threatening to quit the show unless Bravo ponies up Jersey Shore-like money.

TMZ.com reports that Teresa -- who recently filed for bankruptcy -- is asking for a cut of the DVD and merchandise sales, freedom to make more paid appearances and get her salary doubled. A source close to the Housewife explained, "She would like to be paid more equivalent to what the 'Jersey Shore' kids are getting. If she's not treated better by Bravo, she's ready to walk away."

According to TMZ, Teresa is not the only Jersey gal who is unsatisfied with her deal, but she is the most vocal. Supposedly several of the women are planning to boycott the beginning of filming on September 3rd unless their demands are met.

The Jersey Shore kids are reportedly earning about $30,000 per episode.

Meanwhile, it's been reported that cast member Danielle Staub will not be returning for season three.

ASHTON KUTCHER DENIES CHEATING RUMORS

Ashton Kutcher is threatening legal action against Star magazine after they published a story accusing him of cheating on wife Demi Moore. The magazine claims that Ashton was seen kissing and groping a hot young blonde at a Los Angeles restaurant.

A source told Star, "Ashton had this gorgeous girl pinned against the wall, and he was totally making out with her. I was shocked to see him sucking face with a girl who obviously wasn't Demi."

In response to the article, Ashton tweeted, "I think Star magazine calling me a "cheater" qualifies as defamation of character. I hope my lawyer agrees. STAR magazine -- you don't get to stand behind "freedom of the press" when you are writing fiction."

Demi re-tweeted her husband's messages, writing, "Excellent point my love."

HEIDI AND SPENCER REPORTEDLY PULL OUT OF SEX TAPE TALKS

Disappointing news: it seems as though we won't get to see the infamous Spencer Pratt-Heidi Montag sex tape. TMZ.com reports that the estranged couple has pulled out of negotiations with Vivid Entertainment, claiming they're no longer interested in selling the footage.

Sources told TMZ that Spencer wrote the company a letter which said, "Heidi's made it very clear that she is not interested in releasing any tapes. It looks like she pulled the kill switch." The letter also explained, "Spencer's not interested in further destroying their relationship by pursuing an avenue she's so vehemently against."

A rep said that Spencer "thought $5 million would be enough to convince her, but now Heidi is saying she'll bring out the legal team if he persists."

It's of wide belief that the couple's divorce and sex tape scandal is a publicity stunt that they planned together.

LINDSAY LOHAN THREATENS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HER DAD

Lindsay Lohan might involved in another legal battle -- this time regarding her father, Michael Lohan. RadarOnline.com reports that Lohan's lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to her dad's attorney, ordering him to stop selling her personal property.

In the letter, Lohan accuses her father of trying to sell her diary entries, which she wrote during a rehab stint three years ago. Radar reports that Lindsay had no idea her father had the diary and she did not give him permission to sell or distribute it.

Her lawyer warned that if Michael tried to sell the diary or any other of Lindsay's personal belongings, Lindsay would exercise all her legal rights and seek damages for a "grave invasion of privacy."

LINDSAY HAS A HALF-SISTER?

Lindsay isn't Michael's only problem. A 15-year-old who claims she's his daughter is going public with her story for the second time in two years. In 2008, Kristi Horn claimed that she had an affair with Michael in the mid-nineties, which resulted in the birth of her daughter Ashley. When Michael refused to take a DNA test, a judge ruled that his name could be added to Ashley's birth certificate, which it was.

Although Michael still denying paternity, Ashley is publicly dissing him as a dad. She told Life & Style magazine, "I do not trust him, and I don't want to be around him or part of his life. I could never call Michael Lohan 'Dad.' A dad is a person who is there for you and takes care of you."

Despite her hard feelings towards Michael, Ashley said she does want to be in touch with her supposed half-sister Lindsay. She explained, "I wanted to help Lindsay in some way, but what was I supposed to do? I don't even know how to contact her."

MICHAEL DOUGLAS TALKS CANCER

Michael Douglas is opening up about his battle with throat cancer, for which he's currently undergoing a grueling course of radiation and chemotherapy. The fight started about three weeks ago after he went to the doctor complaining of pain. He told David Letterman, "I got a biopsy and they analyzed it and it's a stage 4, which is intense, and so they gotta go at it."

He told People magazine of his treatment, "It's a fight. It really knocks you out." The actor, whose new movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps opens later this month, admitted that the treatment will continue to get more difficult and will definitely affect his ability to promote the film.

However, he told Letterman, his doctors have given him a good prognosis: " (Dave) Is a stage 4 where you want to be or not where you want to be? (Michael) No, you like to be down at stage one, but it has not, the big thing you're always worried about is it spreading, so I am head and neck. I am above the neck so nothing has gone down and the expectations are good."

He speculated about the cause of his disease, saying, "I smoked cigarettes and I drank (alcohol) and this particular type of cancer is caused by alcohol. . . (but) it's been a long year and I do think this is stress related." Douglas's 31-year-old son Cameron was jailed earlier this year on drug charges. His ex-wife is also pursuing legal action against him, claiming their divorce settlement entitles her to a portion of the Wall Street sequel's profits.

CONAN O'BRIEN ANNOUNCES NEW SHOW NAME

Conan O'Brien has unveiled the name of his new TBS late night show. And the winner is . . . Conan!

O'Brien made the revelation in a short video posted on his show's official TBS site -- although, as he noted, the hand-written announcement looked more like "Conaw."

Commentators on the web seemed to think the name is a good decision. MTV noted, "The solution to O'Brien's problem is indeed simple and elegant. He becomes the only late night host whose show is simply his name, a convention that has never really been used but is actually a brilliant idea. After all, it's unlikely that most fans ever knew the actual titles of any of O'Brien's previous shows -- the question was always, "Did you catch Conan last night?" It also puts the focus squarely on O'Brien and the idea that he is a singular personality who can carry a show all by himself."

Conan premieres on November 8th.

HOLLYWOOD QUICK HITS

JAMIE FOXX'S NEW SKETCH COMEDY SHOW: Reports say that Jamie Foxx is prepping a new sketch comedy show with Fox. According to Deadline.com, the pilot was in development with the network, but they ended up not didn't picking up the show. They have reportedly changed their mind. The title of the show is The Jamie Foxx Project and is a different show from the pilot. The network has ordered 12 episodes. It will be in the vein of In Living Color and will spoof pop culture.

CONDOLEEZA RICE TURNED DOWN DANCING WITH THE STARS?: Reports say that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice was among the dozen celebrities that have turned down offers to join the cast of Dancing With the Stars. According to Thehollywoodreporter.com, other "celebs" that have turned down DWTS include Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Sylvester Stallone, political commentator Ann Coulter, Erin Brockovich, Suzanne Somers and more.

MICHAEL JORDAN'S SON'S TWEETS LEADS TO CASINO INVESTIGATION: Michael Jordan's son Marcus' tweets have MGM Resorts International in hot water. According to The Associated Press, the resort came under investigation from gaming officials after the underage Marcus tweeted about his wild weekend in Vegas and stop at a strip club. On August 20th, Marcus reported tweeted about spending $35,000 at Haze at Aria Resort & Casino. He wrote, "Last night was stupid . . . 35K at Haze. Totals 50K something the whole day." Since the investigation, the tweet has been deleted and Marcus told Fox Sports that it was a mistake and he has discussed the situation with his parents. He said, "I didn't mean it the way it came across. My family and friends know the type of person I am." Nevada Gaming Control Board enforcement chief Jerry Markling said they were examining whether the casino operator violated laws prohibiting drinking or gambling by minors.

IS ERIC WILLIAMS A DEADBEAT DAD?: Rumor has it that Basketball Wives star Jennifer Williams' husband NBA player Eric Williams has fathered a child outside of their marriage -- and that he is a deadbeat dad. According to Hellobeautiful.com, the alleged baby mama's name is Brandy and she tweeted a pic of her 18-month-old son named Jaden to Jennifer. Brandy has reportedly said that she didn't know that Eric was married and learned about their wedding on YouTube when she was five months pregnant. She also allegedly has a paternity case open against Eric right now. A source close to Brandy said, "As a single mother to her only son, Jayden, she has had no help and supports him on her own. She hopes that the paternity case will conclude soon so she can get the support she needs to provide the best for him. Eric has failed to take 2 court issued paternity tests so far. I think he is a dead beat dad that only wishes to keep Brandy quiet in hopes of landing a reality show spin off from Basketball Wives. Twitter may not have been the best outlet but Brandy feels that Jennifer should know the truth. "

Eric's alleged child: http://tinyurl.com/2wanp3n

NAOMI CAMPBELL IS IN NO RUSH TO HAVE KIDS

Naomi Campbell has revealed that she is in no rush to have children. Contactmusic.com reported that when asked when she plans to have kids, the 40-year-old supermodel said, "Whenever God decides it's right for me. I don't put pressure on myself. I let things happen how they should naturally. That's how I am today. I'm a recovering alcoholic and addict and I don't drink and I don't do drugs. I live my life one day at a time."

Naomi also admitted that she is still struggling to come to terms with the death of her godchild, Zenani -- who was also Nelson Mandela's great granddaughter. She passed away in a car crash in June.

She told Britain's Elle Magazine, "I was in South Africa when she died. She was due to stay with me the next day and I had just been to Topshop to buy her lots of stuff. I really can't talk about it. It's too recent. It's sad when God decides to take a soul that young."

Naomi is dating Russian billionaire Vladimir Dornin.

SERENA WILLIAMS REVEALS WHAT KIND OF MAN SHE'S LOOKING FOR

Serena Williams has admitted that she is looking for Mr. Right. According to People, when asked what's the best way to get a date with her, she said, "Call me! It's that easy. Just pick up the phone and call me!"

Serena, who ended her two year relationship with rapper/actor Common back in April revealed that she's looking for a man with strong family values. She said, "I'm looking for a guy who is close to his parents -- his mom mostly because you can learn a lot about a guy by the way he treats his mom. And someone who loves themselves because if they take care of themselves, they are able to take care of you."

As for dating deal breakers, she said, "I don't like smokers, and of course people who disrespect their parents and families. Family is very important to me."

SNOOP DOGG SETS OFF JIMMY FALLON'S FIRE ALARM

Snoop Dogg caused panic backstage at Jimmy Fallon's talks show on Tueday (August 31st) when he lit up a "cigarette" and set off studio alarms. The rapper was oblivious to the drama he caused, convinced that the alarm's flashing lights were there to entertain him. He later told Fallon on air, "You know what I like about this show? That you've got nice blinking blue lights."

Fallon responded, "That's because the fire alarm went off . . . That's when the fire department came." Snoop then added, "I thought ya'll did that for me man!" Fallon then hinted that Snoop's his cigarette was filled with marijuana, telling the audience, "The green room's was a little more green than usual."

In other news, Snoop Dogg is teaming up with Internet security company, Norton to fight the ongoing issue of cyber crime.

Snoop told The Huffington Post, "I'm here spreading the awareness of cybercrime. I don't tolerate it. I'm not with it."