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Exciting news for the teen-queen obsessed: Hilary Duff guest-stars Friday night on CBS' "Joan of Arcadia" (8 p.m. EST) as a mean girl who finds her inner good person after a life-changing encounter with Joan (Amber Tamblyn).
Morning Briefing:
He's gonna Rock the house: Chris Rock is sharing his plans for hosting this year's Oscars: Get 'em big and get 'em early. "A great monologue does it," Rock told the Associated Press. "The secret to hosting awards shows is like sports -- get a big lead and run out the clock. Then kind of hand off the ball and assist the show." He's also hoping to get comedic input from his friends David Spade, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy. So how did Rock get the mega-high-profile gig in the first place? "Billy [Crystal] is doing a show in New York, Steve Martin is doing a movie --" said Oscars producer Gil Cates. Rock jumped in, "Ellen DeGeneres has crabs. Jay Leno's got a gig. They got to the R's. Burt Reynolds said no." (Associated Press)
No laughing matter: Bill Cosby met with police investigators this week in connection with allegations made by an old acquaintance of his that the comedian gave her some pills that made her "dizzy and sick" and then fondled her breasts and placed her hand on his genitals in his Philadelphia-area home last January. And while the D.A. overseeing the investigation, Bruce Castor, is said to be weighing the possibility that the alleged sexual contact may have been consensual, he told the press, "I think that factors such as failure to disclose in a timely manner and contacts with the alleged perpetrator after the event are factors that weigh toward Mr. Cosby." The accuser's lawyer, Dolores Troiani, however, explained her client's delayed disclosure in a written statement: "Coming forward has been extremely difficult for our client... Our client is the victim of a sexual assault." Added Troiani, "Look at what happened to Kobe Bryant's accuser. We're still blaming the victim." (N.Y. Daily News, NBC10)
An even bigger Star? Conjuring an image you'd probably rather not imagine, Star Jones announced yesterday to her "View" costars her growing interest in getting breast-enlargement surgery. Her new husband, Al Reynolds, "cares about boobs," she said, and hers, alas, are a bit "saggy" and could use "a little lift." (N.Y. Post)
Also: Possibly hoping for higher production values on his next amateur porn tape, Paris Hilton's notorious ex-boyfriend and "One Night in Paris" co-star, Rick Salomon, made a play for a free $500 digital camera in the Shutterfly/Panasonic hospitality suite at Sundance the other day, but was turned down. His ex-wife and current squeeze Shannen Doherty got one, however, and promised to share. (Lloyd Grove's Lowdown) ... Nicole Kidman, who recently discovered that her home was bugged, has taken out a restraining order against two Australian photographers after they engaged her in a high-speed car chase through the streets of Sydney. (Rush and Molloy) ... Brad Pitt has reportedly told at least one buddy that Angelina Jolie gave him a "dried bat" in a small vial for him to keep in his glove compartment to ward off accidents. (National Enquirer via Rush and Molloy) ... The publishers of the glossy British gossip mag OK! are rumored to be planning to start a U.S. edition sometime this year. (N.Y. Daily News) ... Her nipple ring was presumably not invited, but Janet Jackson plans to attend a Super Bowl party in Jacksonville, Fla., sponsored by the Black Family Channel to raise money for scholarships. (Associated Press) ... The upcoming Broadway revival of "Julius Caesar," starring Denzel Washington as Brutus and set to open in March, has sold more than $2 million worth of tickets in just one week -- and the show hasn't even gone into rehearsal yet. (N.Y. Post) ... Robert Blake's first wife has testified in his murder trial that during a chance meeting with the actor she congratulated him on his new wife and child, and that, in response, "He grabbed me by the wrist and said, 'The baby's real but the marriage isn't.' He pushed me up against the wall and said, 'The marriage is all smoke and mirrors.' ... He said it was a big mess." (Associated Press) ... Portia de Rossi has reportedly bought herself and Ellen DeGeneres matching Tiffany wedding bands to signal their deep commitment to each other ... after just a few months together. De Rossi also bought DeGeneres a vintage Porsche for Christmas. (Page Six) ... The woman who has accused Kobe Bryant of rape has reached a settlement (for an undisclosed sum) with tabloid publisher American Media Inc., which ran her picture in its papers. (N.Y. Post)
-- Amy Reiter
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