Buzz Briefs: Nicole Kidman, Nick Nolte
Kidman, Lopez, Fonda Celebrate Women In Hollywood
An event honoring women in entertainment drew some of the biggest names in Hollywood last night.
Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Keaton and Halle Berry joined dozens of other stars in a ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills for Elle magazine's 15th annual Women in Hollywood tribute.
This year's honorees include actresses Berry, Fonda, Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Sigourney Weaver and Isla Fisher, plus director Catherine Hardwicke.
All of the women are featured in the magazine's November issue.
Weaver said - quote - "Someday women writers, producers and crew members will be so commonplace, and roles and salaries for actresses will outstrip those for men, and pigs will fly."
Kidman thanked directors including Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. She said "they were men in Hollywood who loved women."
Nick Nolte Escapes Malibu Fire
Actor Nick Nolte has escaped a fire that burned a Malibu home to the ground.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says the actor slightly cut his hand when he broke a window and fled the home shortly after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The Sheriff's Department says an electrical malfunction caused the fire. The fired destroyed the home and caused an estimated $3.5 million damage.
A call and e-mail to Nolte's publicist Arnold Robinson were not immediately returned.
Esquire Names Halle Berry "Sexiest Woman Alive"
Alongside a photo spread that shows her in little more than a T-shirt, Halle Berry talks about being the sexiest woman alive, a title Esquire magazine gives her in its November issue.
"I don't know exactly what it means, but being 42 and having just had a baby, I think I'll take it," says Berry, who gave birth to her daughter, Nahla, in March.
"Sexiness is a state of mind - a comfortable state of being," she says. "It's about loving yourself in your most unlovable moments."
But Berry, who won an Oscar for her role in "Monster's Ball," can't claim the sexiest-woman honor all to herself.
"I share this title with every woman, because every woman is a nominee for it at any moment," she says.
R. Kelly Seeks $3.4 Million From Tour Promoter
R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect.
R. Kelly Touring, which represents the singer, filed court documents on Monday seeking a judge's confirmation of the award an arbitrator granted against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment last month.
Kelly's company claimed that Rowe Entertainment and owner Leonard Rowe failed to pay him in full for shows scheduled for late last year and early 2008. An arbitrator agreed with Kelly's claims. Documents show Rowe disputed the arbitration, but did not offer any defense during a recent hearing.
Kelly won three Grammys in 1997 for the song "I Believe I Can Fly," but is known for his sexually charged music. He was acquitted earlier this year of child pornography charges and is scheduled to release a new album before year's end.
Oprah Sued For Defamation By Ex-Girls School Head
The ex-headmistress of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa sued the TV talk show host for defamation, claiming Winfrey falsely suggested she tried to cover up abuse at the school.
In widely reported remarks last year, Winfrey suggested that Nomvuyo Mzamane, 39, of Philadelphia, knew about alleged abuse by a dorm matron and tried to cover it up, Mzamane says in the lawsuit.
Her lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court on Friday, seeks more than $250,000 on five defamation and related counts from Winfrey and her production company.
"The thing that hurt my client the most was when Oprah said, 'I thought she cared about the girls of South Africa,"' said Mzamane's lawyer, Timothy McGowan. "It was devastating. She loved those girls."
A spokeswoman for Winfrey says the company has not seen the suit and plans no immediate comment.
Colbert On Colbert: It's Fun Playing A Jerk
Stephen Colbert was raised in South Carolina to be a Southern gentleman. But he spends his days being a jerk. It must be tough.
Not really, says the Comedy Central star.
"I was taught to be nice, so it's not in my nature to be a jerk," he told a crowd of fans over the weekend at the New Yorker Festival. "But I do enjoy it."
Colbert figures that's because he's embarrassment-proof. "There's an essential embarrassment to being a jerk, and I just don't get embarrassed about things," he explained.
The host of "The Colbert Report" spent 90 minutes out of character, regaling interviewer Ariel Levy about how his career was launched and deconstructing the process of playing the right-wing blowhard pundit named Stephen Colbert.
Before every interview, he said, he explains to his guest exactly what he's doing. "I tell people, 'He's an idiot,"' Colbert said, referring to his alter ego. "I say, 'Disabuse me of my ignorance."'
The comedian added that he does care about how people feel they're treated on the show.
"I don't care what they think of ME, but I am worried about their feelings," he said.
It's A Girl For "Idol" Singer Paris Bennett
Former "American Idol" contestant Paris Bennett has given birth to a daughter named Egypt.
Bennett was in labor for five hours before her 5-pound, 15-ounce baby was born Monday.
The first-time mother is reportedly doing well.
In a news release, the 20-year-old says she's "so excited to finally see my little angel." Bennett adds, "Man, does she have lungs on her. I guess she's gearing up to be the next American Idol."
Bennett is scheduled to release her first Christmas CD, "A Royal Christmas," on October 14th.
Matthew Broderick Returns To Broadway Next Spring
Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next spring in a revival of "The Philanthropist," a comedy by English playwright Christopher Hampton.
The Roundabout Theatre Company production, directed by David Grindley, will open April 26, 2009, at the American Airlines Theatre, Todd Haimes, the Roundabout's artistic director, announced Monday. It will begin preview performances April 10.
Broderick, in his first Broadway appearance since the 2005 revival of "The Odd Couple," portrays Philip, an insular college professor. Other casting will be announced.
"The Philanthropist" had a 64-performance run on Broadway in 1971 in a production that featured Alec McCowen, Jane Asher and Victor Spinetti.
Lohan's Estranged Father To Jump Into Boxing Ring
Michael Lohan isn't the type to back down from a fight.
The estranged father of Lindsay Lohan has publicly feuded with the actress, her girlfriend Samantha Ronson and her mother Dina Lohan.
For his next battle, Lohan will use his fists rather than his mouth: He's auctioning off the chance to knock him out in a charity boxing match Nov. 24 at the Hilton Long Island in Melville, N.Y.
Bidding to challenge Lohan begins at $5,000. Proceeds will go to charities including the Long Island Community Chest, which provides financial support to needy families.
Jeff Cohen, an organizer for the event, said he expects a big turnout.
"Anybody who jumps into the ring with Michael Lohan will become famous," Cohen said. "Maybe you'll get one of Lindsay Lohan's ex-boyfriends who'll try and impress Lindsay by beating up her father. Who knows? ... You might get Samantha Ronson trying to put a bid in there."
D'oh! Ex-"Simpsons" Writer Wins $5,000 Prize
Larry Doyle, a former TV writer-producer for "The Simpsons," was named the winner Monday of this year's Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was cited for the novel "I Love You, Beth Cooper."
"Clearly Larry Doyle was not the BMOC (Big Man On Campus)," Thurber judge Firoozeh Dumas said in a statement. "Had Larry been cool, he could have never written `I Love You, Beth Cooper,' a hilarious yet painfully accurate account of high school in all its pimply glory."
Doyle will receive $5,000. The two other finalists were Patricia Marx, for the novel "Him Her Him Again The End of Him," and Simon Rich for "Ant Farm," an essay collection.
The Thurber Prize, named for author-illustrator James Thurber, was founded in 1996.