Buzz Briefs: Anna Nicole, Sean Stewart
Anna Nicole Lawyer Wants Dannielynn To Be Sole Heir
Howard K. Stern filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday seeking to make Anna Nicole Smith's daughter the sole heir of the late model's estate.
Smith's will was drafted long before the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn, last year. Smith died before she could update her will to include her daughter.
According to court documents, Stern tried to clarify Smith's intentions.
Dannielynn should be the sole beneficiary under the correct reading of Smith's will, Stern claims, even if the child's name is not mentioned. He also asks a judge to establish a trust for Dannielynn.
Photos: Anna Nicole Smith
Dannielynn lives with her father, Larry Birkhead, who was established as her parent through DNA testing that settled a legal dispute with Stern.
Rod Stewart's Son Pleads Not Guilty
Rod Stewart's son has pleaded not guilty to felony charges stemming from an assault reported on a couple outside a party in the Hollywood Hills.
Sean Stewart entered his plea in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday. He faces counts of assault and throwing a substance at a vehicle.
He showed up about 25 minutes late for the hearing. That prompted the judge to warn Stewart not to be late for the next hearing, scheduled in November.
Stewart is one of the stars of the A&E cable show "Sons of Hollywood." He was arrested in June.
The couple, Tobalus and Ericka Stein, claim that Stewart and others riding in a Rolls-Royce Phantom threw bricks and other items at them and their vehicle.
Prosecutors withdrew charges Thursday against Beanie Sigel after the rapper resolved a dispute over a rental car he had kept long past its return date. Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, rented a 2007 Nissan Altima from Payless Car Rental in July, but didn't return it by the Aug. 13 due date or contact the rental company, police said. Payless, which continued to charge his credit card, reported the car stolen on Sept. 6.
Someone returned the car to Payless on Oct. 5, just as detectives went to Sigel's home in the suburb of Lansdale to arrest him, police said. The vehicle had accumulated $5,000 in late fees.
All outstanding fees were paid, said Sigel's attorney, Fortunato N. Perri Jr. who said the case was "essentially ... a misunderstanding between the two parties."
"Late Show" Crew Member Hospitalized
Fire officials responded around 10 a.m. to a report of an odor of smoke inside the Broadway building that houses the Ed Sullivan Theater, where filming of the show takes place. According to CBS, one crew member was taken to a Manhattan hospital as a precaution, but was then released.
A small fire that originated inside an air conditioning unit was blamed for the smoke. No other injuries were reported. The taping of the show was not delayed.
Hopkins Takes Legal Action Against Production Company
Photos: Celebrity Circuit
Merchant Ivory owes Hopkins $750,000 for his work in a film called "The City of Your Final Destination," according to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Hopkins signed on to the film in Oct. 2006 and was to be paid in full for his performance by Jan. 10, 2007, court documents claim. He is seeking compensatory damages of $750,000, as well as interest, attorney fees, and any other money that an arbitration panel "may deem just and proper."
"Sopranos" Actor's Statements Will Not Be Used In Trial
The key statements that Lillo Brancato Jr., known for playing an aspiring mobster in HBO's "The Sopranos," made to police regarding the fatal shooting of an off-duty police officer will not be used against him in his upcoming trail, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors agreed not to use the statements because Brancato was questioned without his lawyer, Assistant District Attorney Theresa Gottlieb said Tuesday.
The statements were made shortly after the December 2005 shooting of New York Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui. Brancato is alleged to have told investigators that co-defendant Steven Armento shot the officer, though Brancato urged him not to.
His lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, said Brancato was sedated and "could barely speak" when he was questioned.
John Goodman Leaves Rehab
John Goodman is out of rehab. A spokesman for the actor says he's left the Promises Treatment Center in Malibu, Calif., where he had been treated for an undisclosed reason.
Goodman says in a statement released by his publicist that he voluntarily took steps to "remain sober" for the rest of his life.
It's not clear how long he was in rehab or when he was released.
The 55-year-old Goodman is best known for playing Dan Conner on the hit TV sitcom "Roseanne" in the 1980s and '90s. He's also appeared in such films as "The Big Lebowski," "The Flintstones" and "The Babe."
Border Agents Seize Death Cab For Cutie Guitarist's Master Tracks
Photos: Celebrity Rehab
Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla says he's still planning to release his solo album, even though border agents seized the hard drive containing the CD's master tracks. Walla said a courier was traveling from a Canadian studio to the guitarist's Seattle record label when he was stopped by U.S. border patrol agents. Walla said, "I don't know what red flag could possibly have gone up at the border. It's so baffling to me."
Actress and K-Fed ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson will battle it out live tonight with reality star Kendra Wilkinson for the title of MTV's "Celebrity Rap Superstar." The ladies will be joined by rap mentors MC Lyte and Too $hort with Judges Da Brat, DMC, Big Boy and host Kevin Hart. All of the season's celebrity contestants will be back on stage together to celebrate with one final rhyme.