Buzz Briefs: Vanilla Ice, Kid Rock
Vanilla Ice Busted
Vanilla Ice has been arrested in South Florida on a simple battery charge.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says the 39-year-old rapper was arrested late Thursday night following an incident at his home in Wellington. He was being held without bond.
It wasn't known if he had an attorney. A message left with his agent wasn't immediately returned early Friday morning.
The rapper, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, spent a night in jail in 2001 after being arrested following a domestic dispute.
He sold 15 million copies of the single "Ice Ice Baby" in 1990.
Kid Rock Headed To Court
Kelly Ann Kozlowski sued Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, following a March 8, 2007, incident. Authorities in suburban Detroit investigated her claims, but no charges were brought.
Ritchie appeared Thursday for a settlement conference. Afterward, attorneys told The Detroit News nothing was resolved, and jury selection is set for April 17.
Photos: Detroit's Kid Rocks
Ritchie's lawyer William Horton says the 37-year-old Detroit-area musician is ready to defend himself against the claims.
Kozlowski's emotional distress lawsuit seeks $25,000 in damages from Ritchie.
Ex-Contestant Suing Miss California Pageant
Christina Silva, 24, was crowned Miss California USA on Nov. 25. Three days later the pageant's executive director, Keith Lewis, told her "there has been a mistake and you are not the winner," according to the Superior Court suit.
Raquel Beezley, 21, was subsequently crowned.
Silva is of Ecuadorean and Mexican descent. The lawsuit claims Lewis was "uncomfortable with the fact that Miss Silva spoke Spanish with certain vendors; he felt that it may detract from the caliber of the pageant and some of the 'all American girls' may not opt to compete in the following year."
Photos: Miss Universe 2007
Silva alleges that Lewis, the pageant, its producer K2 Productions and the Miss Universe Organization engaged in fraud, negligence, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges.
Lewis told The Associated Press that neither he nor his attorney had read or been served the lawsuit, but said allegations of racial bias were unfounded.
"I've had three winners since I've been a director," Lewis said. "Two have been African American, two of four in the history of the state pageant. And the current Miss California USA is 25 percent Filipino," Lewis said, referring to Beezley.
"I think my record speaks for itself," he said.
UCLA Knew About Snooping
UCLA Medical Center has known since at least 1995 that its workers were improperly looking at confidential medical files of such prominent patients as Tom Cruise, a former employee claims.
James Duckstad, a former hospital assistant at UCLA, told the Los Angeles Times he was one of a group of workers fired in 1995 for records snooping. He said they looked at computerized medical files of celebrities including actors Cruise and Dom DeLuise.
"It was news throughout the whole hospital that employees were fired for screwing around in the computer," said Duckstad, who claimed his motive was boredom while on the night shift. "This was in 1995, and here we are 13 years later - and either they didn't follow the policy or people didn't take it that seriously."
Earlier this week, former administrative specialist Lawanda J. Jackson confirmed she peeked into the medical records of more than 60 UCLA patients in 2006 and 2007.
Among them were California first lady Maria Shriver and actress Farrah Fawcett, who is battling cancer. Details about Fawcett's medical treatment later showed up in the National Enquirer.
Jackson resigned from the hospital in May 2007 as it was preparing to fire her. She said she was just being "nosy" by looking at the records and did not leak any information.
The secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, Kim Belshe, said the state will be taking action against UCLA.
George Clooney Brand Of Clothes Is Fake
Tax police said they seized garments and watches Wednesday, as well as fake documentation. The ANSA news agency said the line was to be launched in Milan next week.
Police said the probe stemmed from a complaint filed by the actor.
"If someone tries to sell you clothes or watches that are based on me, don't buy them," Clooney, 46, told reporters Wednesday in Rome, where he was promoting his new film, "Leatherheads."