Buzz Briefs: Amy Winehouse, Jessica Alba
Norwegian Court Orders Amy Winehouse To Appeal Conviction In Person
Amy Winehouse has been summoned to appear in court in Bergen after appealing her fine for marijuana possession.
"I can confirm that she must appear in court," Bergen police spokeswoman Liv Karlsen said Thursday. "If one appeals a conviction, it's the rule that one has to appear in person, so this is not surprising."
The 24-year-old British singer-songwriter and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested in Bergen on Oct. 18 and held overnight on charges of illegal drug possession.
They were released the next day after paying fines of $715 each on charges of possessing about 1/4-ounce of marijuana, and continued on a European tour.
Winehouse later claimed she had been tricked into signing the charges and didn't know what she had put her signature to. Police say they are sure she knew, and that fluent English speakers helped her.
The singer's lawyer has said that a conviction and a fine could damage her career by making it more difficult for her to enter the U.S.
Jessica Alba Engaged
The 26-year-old actress, who announced earlier this month that she's expecting, is now engaged to her boyfriend and the baby's father, producer Cash Warren.
"I can confirm that they are engaged," Alba's publicist, Brad Cafarelli, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday.
The couple is expecting their first child in late spring or early summer, Cafarelli said.
Alba stars in the thriller "Awake," and recently appeared in "Good Luck Chuck" and "The Ten." The sex symbol first gained fame as an action star on TV's "Dark Angel," then in films including "Fantastic Four" and "Sin City."
Madonna Sets Date For Directorial Debut
"Filth and Wisdom," starring Eugene Hutz, Richard E. Grant and Stephen Graham, will screen in the Panorama section, outside the main competition, a festival statement said Thursday.
Organizers didn't specify whether the 49-year-old singer will come to Berlin to present the movie.
The event, which runs from Feb. 7-17, is the first of the year's major European film festivals.
Judge To Sean Connery, Neighbors: Enough With The Lawsuits
In court papers, Burton Sultan calls his neighbor Connery, 77, the antithesis of the suave secret agent he played in numerous James Bond films, branding him "a bully who ignores norms of neighborliness and decency" in the town house they share.
Connery and his wife claim the Sultan family's complaints have delayed needed repairs to the roof, imperiling the Connerys and raising the repair costs.
In a decision made public Wednesday, State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman tossed out many of the Sultans' claims but slammed the Connerys for what she called their "blunderbuss" legal salvos.
She barred both sides from filing any more lawsuits without her permission, saying they "have engaged in a 'slash and burn' litigation strategy."
Connery's lawyer and publicist and Sultan's lawyer did not immediately return telephone messages Thursday.
The sides have clashed repeatedly over the Connerys' years-long renovations to their part of the six-story, landmarked 1869 town house. The Sultans claim the renovations have subjected them to noise, fumes, leaks and rats, ruining their collection of antique wicker furniture.
Connery played the British secret agent known as 007 in 1962's "Dr. No." He reprised the role in such Bond classics as "From Russia With Love," "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice."
Brendan Fraser And Wife Split
"They continue to maintain a close and caring friendship," the actor's publicist, Ina Treciokas, said Wednesday in a statement.
The couple wed in 1998 and have three children.
Fraser, 39, has starred in the "Mummy" films, "Gods and Monsters" and "George of the Jungle."
Josh Duhamel And Fergie Engaged
Photos: Celebrity Splits
Just call him The Duke. Josh Duhamel and his girlfriend, Fergie, are engaged, his publicist said Wednesday.
Duhamel's publicist, Ruth Bernstein, said the actor recently popped the question to the pop star, whose debut solo album is titled, "The Dutchess." She didn't release any other details.
A message left late Wednesday with Fergie's agent, Jonathan Levine, wasn't immediately returned.
Duhamel, 35, told Best Life magazine in a recent interview that he's been dating 32-year-old Fergie for about three years and that they have bought a house together.
He is the star of NBC's "Las Vegas," and appeared in the action movie "Transformers."
Fergie, whose real name is Stacy Ann Ferguson, is a member of the Black Eyed Peas. Her hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" from "The Dutchess" has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the best female pop vocal category.
Wesley Snipes Trial To Go Forward
Photos: Celebrity Couples
Wesley Snipes' federal tax-evasion trial will go forward next month in Ocala, Fla., despite arguments by the actor's lawyers.
The rulings were made by U.S. District Judge William T. Hodges on Monday, according to court documents.
A telephone message left for Snipes' attorney wasn't immediately returned Thursday morning.
His lawyers had claimed the 45-year-old actor cannot get a fair trial in Ocala, located about 80 miles north of Orlando. Snipes previously filed two motions to dismiss or transfer the trial because of racial prejudices.
Federal prosecutors have previously said there is "no basis in reality" for Snipes' claims.
Photos: Celebrity Mug Shots