Morning Briefing:
Timberlake and Diaz no more: The rumor mill has been turning out a steady stream of stories about it, but now it's official: After four years of celebrity coupledom, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have called it quits. On Tuesday the pair issued a statement to the press: "It has always been our preference not to comment on the status of our relationship, but, out of respect for the time we've spent together, we feel compelled to do so now, in light of recent speculation and the number of inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media," it said. "We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship, and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another." And it looks like Timberlake has already been making the most of his newly single status -- the tabs have linked him with both Scarlett Johansson and Kate Hudson in the past few weeks. (BBC News, Daily Dish, E Online)
Madonna on Letterman: Madonna appeared on David Letterman's show last night to again defend her decision to adopt a child from Malawi. (Angelina Jolie criticized Madonna, or at least appeared to, in an interview earlier this week.) Telling the talk show host she saw her act of adoption as "saving a life," she said Malawi -- like most African nations except Ethiopia and Kenya -- has no clearly defined adoption rules: "We were basically creating the laws as we went." She certainly doesn't regret her decision; if anything, she wants more people to follow in her footsteps: "There's over a million orphans in Malawi, and in my opinion the laws need to change because these children need to be rescued." (Reuters via Yahoo News)
The Beckhams are coming: Los Angeles' already swelled celebrity ranks are about to grow by two more: David Beckham and his wife, Victoria -- aka Posh Spice -- will be moving to Los Angeles sometime later this year. Beckham announced on Thursday that he won't renew his contract to play for Spain's Real Madrid team, and instead has signed a five-year deal with Major League Soccer's L.A. Galaxy, reportedly worth $250 million. (Sky News)
Queen, Bond lead Brit nominations: The nominations for the British Bafta awards were announced in London this morning, and "The Queen" leads the pack with 10 (including best director and best actress), followed closely by "Casino Royale" with nine (including best actor). The winners will be announced Feb. 11. For a full list of the nominees, go here. (BBC News)
Also:
Steve Irwin's wife, Terri, told "Access Hollywood" this week that all tapes of her husband's fatal encounter with a stingray have now been destroyed. (Associated Press) ... Lindsay Lohan's mom, Dina, was spotted with an unnamed man at a restaurant in New York acting more like ... her daughter. "Dina had a napkin in her lap and hiked up her dress," a source tells Page Six. "The guy put his hand under her napkin ... It went on for like five minutes." (Page Six) ... The debut of "The Sopranos" on A&E Wednesday night set a record for the premiere of a show not on its original network, attracting 4.27 million viewers. (TV Week) ... If you're wondering why so many news organizations ran screen grabs of Bush after the president's speech Wednesday night, here's the reason: In an unprecedented move, the White House refused to let photographers take his photo at the podium afterward, instead offering an official handout photo, which most outlets turned down. (PDN Online)
Money Quote:
Cybill Shepherd on "Moonlighting" costar Bruce Willis' kissing abilities: "At first he kissed like a camel -- like camel tongue! Oh, it was terrible! Then Demi Moore got ahold of him and must have taught him something." (ContactMusic)
Turn On:
On Friday night, Judd Nelson guest-stars on "Las Vegas" (NBC, 9 p.m. EST). On Sunday, there's a string of season premieres: "24" (Fox, 8 p.m. EST), "Rome" (HBO, 9 p.m. EST) and "Extras" (HBO, 10 p.m. EST).
On the Talk Shows:
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Kiefer Sutherland
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST): Kristin Chenoweth, John Witherspoon, Josh Ritter
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST): Renée Zellweger, Joy Behar, Common
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST): Kiefer Sutherland, Jill Hennessy, Gym Class Heroes
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST): Emily Blunt, Louis CK, Islands
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST): David Arquette, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Spank Rock
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