Turn On:
Friday night, a "Trek" era ends as UPN airs the series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise" (9 p.m. EDT).
Morning Briefing:
Pitt's talking! Breaking his recent silence, Brad Pitt tells GQ magazine that he and Jennifer Aniston have "kept the love we have for each other," labeling reports that they split because he wanted a baby and she didn't "total bull." "We've done it our way, and I love her for that," Pitt said, explaining that the split was due to many factors. "It's talked about like it failed, because it wasn't flawless," he said of the marriage. "Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually. The idea that marriage has to be for all time -- that I don't.'' As for the rampant rumors that he and Angelina Jolie are a thang, he neither confirmed nor denied them, but did call them "nasty." (This is London, Boston Herald)
Unlikely friendship: Or maybe not so unlikely. Bad-boy actor Russell Crowe says that he and bad-boy Prince Harry became pen pals after meeting each other at a screening of Crowe's "Master and Commander" a while back. Crowe says that the "charming young man" sent him a "pleasant letter," signing it with a smug-ish rugby reference. "I thought, 'You little bastard, I like you a lot,'" recalls Crowe, who is now stepping forward (somewhat belatedly) to defend Harry against the press' outrage over the prince's decision to wear a Nazi outfit to a costume party a few months ago. "It was a private party, and he should be able to dress up in any way he likes," said Crowe. (Rush and Molloy)
Jackson trial update: Bits and pieces, bits and pieces Former Michael Jackson lawyer Mark Geragos has been subpoenaed to appear in court to testify -- and the judge in the case has rejected an appeal from Geragos for more time, saying if the lawyer fails to show up when called, he'll issue a warrant for his arrest. "Now you know how citizens feel when lawyers subpoena them! Now you have a lawyer asking for special accommodation!" the judge clucked at Geragos' lawyer. "I expect him to be here." Defense attorneys might try to paint Geragos as one of the members of Jackson's inner circle they say put pressure on the family of Jackson's young accuser in order to show Jackson in a more flattering light. The defense certainly tried to burnish that Jackson-as-victim-of-inner-circle image with the testimony of former Jackson attorney David LeGrand on Thursday. LeGrand told the court he felt the Jackson aides named as unindicted co-conspirators in this case were trying to swipe Jackson's money. "I became suspicious of everybody," LeGrand said. "Everybody wanted to benefit from Mr. Jackson in one way or another." LeGrand also brought some good news for the prosecution, however, testifying that the mother of Jackson's accuser turned down a $25,000 offer from Jackson's team to file a civil complaint in England against Martin Bashir for the portrayal of her son in Bashir's "Living with Michael Jackson." That testimony casts some doubt on the defense's claim that the accuser's family is motivated by moolah. (N.Y. Post, Associated Press)
And she never had to uncross her legs: Sharon Stone has adopted another baby boy, who will be a brother to the five-year-old son she adopted with her ex-husband, San Francisco Chronicle editor Phil Bronstein. Stone's new baby, Laird Vonne Stone, was born to "unknown and unrelated parents in Texas" on Saturday. And Stone's publicist told the press that "Mommy and her boys are over the moon." Meanwhile, Bronstein says he's delighted to be more or less out of the media spotlight following his split with Stone. "The interest factor has lessened considerably," he told Editor & Publisher, "which is great." (BBC News, Page Six)
Also: CNN's Christine Amanpour is ending her relationship with CBS' "60 Minutes" and will no longer produce segments for the show, as she has done part-time since 1996. Sources say she'd hoped to turn her involvement into a full-time gig and was rebuffed. (Variety) Justin Timberlake may be paid more than $1 million to lip-synch one of his songs at the upcoming bar mitzvah of British retail bigwig Philip Green. (Us Weekly via Lloyd Grove's Lowdown) Curious celeb sighting of the day, as noted on Page Six: "Sly Stallone dining on lobster and scallops at Fresco with Bernie Kerik." (Page Six) So many pages, so little time: President Bush is reportedly still reading Tom Wolfe's "I Am Charlotte Simmons," a book he started back in February. (Page Six) So what if it wasn't very good the first time? TBS' "The Real Gilligan's Island," on which two sets of Gilligans, Skippers, Professors, etc. are pitted against one another, will return for a second season, starting next month. (ComingSoon.Net) The Corey Clark/Paula Abdul controversy appears to have had no effect whatsoever on the ratings of "American Idol." (Associated Press) Cameron Diaz is suing the British tabloid The Sun for libel for "falsely alleging that she had embarked upon a secret affair with a married man." (BBC News) First-season "Apprentice" winner Bill Rancic is writing a business advice book for children ages 8-12 called "Beyond the Lemonade Stand: Starting Small to Make It Big," to be published by an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Rancic says he will donate the royalties to various children's charities. (News24) Chris Tucker has pleaded guilty to speeding and eluding police officers during a 10-mile car chase in Georgia last month, but said he didn't hear the police car sirens because he was so intent on getting to church on time. (Fox News) Bill Cosby is continuing to deny allegations that he drugged and molested a female acquaintance at his Philadelphia-area home more than a year ago, but admits to giving the woman the over-the-counter allergy medication Benadryl after she complained of having trouble sleeping. (Associated Press) The Secret Service has arrested a 1999 MIT grad for allegedly stalking President Bush's model niece Lauren Bush, who is a junior at Princeton University. (Page Six)
Money Quotes:
Tracey Ullman on the claim by Paula Abdul's "tacky" accuser, Clorey Clark, that the "American Idol" judge helped him pick out his clothing: "Oh my goodness. Well, he needed some help. I mean, look at him. He's a shlub." (ABC News Radio via Lloyd Grove's Lowdown)
Donald Trump on speculation that the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes match is a whopping publicity stunt: "The fact is, I know Tom Cruise. He's a really nice guy and I'm telling you he likes Katie Holmes and he likes a lot of other women. Tom is 42 and Katie is 26. Well, thats a fairly big difference but a guy named Donald Trump has seen a lot of bigger differences than that. And personally, I dont think the age difference matters that much if both parties know what theyre doing. But as far as Tom goes, I believe him. Go to it, Tom." (MSNBC's Scoop)
-- Amy Reiter
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