Morning Briefing:
Brandy facing jail time: R&B star Brandy Norwood is singing the blues after the California Highway Patrol recommended she be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for her involvement in a fatal freeway crash last month. The CHP alleges that the accident was caused as a result of the singer's driving at a speed "greater than is reasonable or prudent" when her Land Rover hit a Honda driven by Awatef Aboudihaj, setting off a multicar collision. Aboudihaj later died from injuries sustained in the crash. The charge carries a maximum of one year of jail time. Brandy's publicist had no comment, but a witness at the scene told the press that Brandy "kept saying how she hit the lady." (Yahoo News, TMZ)
Ex-supermodel sues E: This could be bad news for cheesy celebrity documentaries. Former supermodel Niki Taylor has filed a federal slander lawsuit against E! Entertainment for causing "emotional distress" with its profile of her in the new documentary series "Blvd. of Broken Dreams." Taylor claims the network told her the program would focus on her current professional endeavors rather than her past -- which includes a 2001 car crash in which she almost died. For a hint that the focus might not be on her upcoming line of cosmetics, perhaps Taylor should have checked out the show's Web site, which describes the "Blvd." as a "place between heaven and Hollywood" where "dreams turn tragic and fame goes sour fast." (CNN)
Spielberg made Hitchcock feel like a whore: In Bruce Dern's upcoming memoir, "Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have," the actor recalls Alfred Hitchcock telling him he wouldn't meet with Steven Spielberg, who had just directed "Jaws," because "the boy who made the fish movie" made him "feel like such a whore," thus providing one of the biggest disappointments of Spielberg's life. Hitchcock had been paid a million dollars to provide the voice of the "Jaws" ride at Universal Studios. (Page Six)
Also:
Stars Daniel Craig and Eva Green, along with director Martin Campbell, attended the Beijing premiere of "Casino Royale" -- the first James Bond film to be shown in China. (BBC) ... Scarlett Johansson and Ben Stiller will be this year's recipients of Harvard's Hasty Pudding Awards. (Yahoo News) ... Oklahoman Lauren Nelson was crowned Miss America Monday night in Las Vegas. (E Online) ... The Police will reunite for the first time since 1984 when they kick off the Grammys on Feb. 11. (N.Y. Times) ... Citing Colonel Sanders' legacy of "breaking animals' bones," Pamela Anderson has written an angry letter to the postmaster general trying to scuttle KFC's request to have Sanders' image included on a stamp. (MSNBC)
Money Quote:
Kevin Federline on how his decision to appear in a self-spoofing commercial that will be shown during the Super Bowl is actually a step toward respectability: "Eventually you can get to the point where people judge you on your work." (Daily News)
Turn On:
On Tuesday night, "Road Rules" is back after a three-year layoff with "Road Rules: Viewer's Revenge" (MTV, 9 p.m. EST), the real-life "Friday Night Lights" returns with the second season premiere of "Two-A-Days" (MTV, 10 p.m. EST), and car salesmen do their thing on "King of Cars" (A&E, 11 p.m. EST).
On the Talk Shows:
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Bill Gates (repeat)
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST): Matt Damon, Barbara Walters
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST): Diane Keaton, Ivanka Trump, the Soweto Gospel Choir
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST): Kristin Davis, Bob Saget, Paolo Nutini
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST): Julie Bowen, Terry Crews, Michael Meehan
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST): Christina Applegate, Patton Oswalt
Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EST): Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Stephen Colbert (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EST): Donna Shalala
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