A federal judge on Thursday sentenced the actor Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for willfully failing to file tax returns. Mr. Snipes, who was convicted in February, received one year for each count, to be served consecutively, and an additional year of probation. The sentence was handed down by Judge William Terrell Hodges of Federal District Court. Mr. Snipes, who apologized for his actions before the sentence was announced, showed no immediate reaction to the verdict.

Judge Hodges allowed Mr. Snipes and a co-defendant, Douglas Rosile, to remain free on bond until they were summoned by either the United States Marshals Service or the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The sentencing came at the end of a daylong hearing in which lawyers for Mr. Snipes argued for leniency while federal prosecutors sought the maximum penalty possible.

The case was the most prominent tax prosecution since the billionaire hotelier Leona Helmsley was convicted of tax fraud in 1989. Mr. Snipes, who has built a worldwide following acting in films like the Blade vampire trilogy, must pay up to $17 million in back taxes plus penalties and interest. In a prepared statement, Mr. Snipes said: "I'm very sorry for my mistakes. I acknowledge that I have failed myself and others." But in the statement, which ran to nearly 10 minutes, Mr. Snipes never mentioned the words "tax" or "taxes."

"He never stated he didn't pay his taxes or show any remorse for it," said Robert O'Neill, the acting United States attorney for the Middle District of Florida, the lead prosecutor on the case. Mr. Snipes even tried to make a down payment on his taxes before sentencing; his legal team offered Judge Hodges three checks totaling $5 million. Judge Hodges refused the checks, saying he did not have the authority to accept them. Prosecutors also declined to accept the checks. An Internal Revenue Service employee eventually accepted the checks on behalf of the Treasury Department.

Mr. Snipes's legal team also questioned the validity of federal sentencing guidelines. At one point, one of his lawyers, Carmen Hernandez, described herself as "an expert on sentencing." Judge Hodges replied, "If I may be so bold, I've also had some experience with that." A jury found Mr. Snipes guilty on Feb. 1 of three misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file tax returns, but acquitted him of felony conspiracy and tax fraud charges and three additional counts of failure to file. The jury also convicted two co-defendants, Eddie Ray Kahn and Mr. Rosile, on felony charges. Mr. Snipes was a member of American Rights Litigators, an organization founded by Mr. Kahn. Prosecutors have described that organization and its successor company, Guiding Light of God Ministries, as illegal tax-evasion schemes.

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Lion Cubs Make Their Debut

Get ready for an overload of cute: here are three lion cubs making their public debut at the Fuji Safari Park in Shizuoka, Japan. They are too young to eat meat yet, so they are bottle-fed milk three times a day by their trainers. They are five weeks old and don't yet have names. But they are already big stars at the park.



Posted on April 24, 2008
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Madonna Thinks Tom Cruise Is Getting a Raw Deal

Madonna talked with New York Magazine about lots of interesting things. She thinks Tom Cruise is getting a raw deal in the press, even if he does worship turtles and frogs. Wait, what?

Interviewer: Tom Cruise was at a recent fund-raiser [for Malawi]. Do you sympathize with him?

Madonna: I do. I don't care if people worship turtles or frogs--if they're good people, that's all I care about, and he is a good person. I think he gets a raw deal, just as I think the orphans in Malawi get a raw deal, just as I think a lot of marginalized people get a raw deal.

How big a check did he write to Raising Malawi? Ok, that's pretty cynical of us. We just can't help ourselves. But we do love Madonna.

Posted on April 21, 2008
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Baby Wilbaer Makes His Debut

Here's baby Wilbaer making his debut at a Stuttgart, Germany zoo. Wilbaer is four months old and is being taught to swim by him mother, Corinna. Wilbaer is just darling and we're happy he has his momma. If only Knut hadn't been rejected by his momma, how different things would have been.



Posted on April 20, 2008
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Kelly Clarkson Sings for Pope Benedict

Kelly Clarkson was asked to sing "Ave Maria" for Pope Benedict during his American visit. "Ave Maria" is usually sung by a trained opera singer for such occasions and Kelly is a pop singer, but she really has a fabulous voice. We think she did a great job. The Pope was quite pleased with her closing performance at a giant youth rally today in Yonkers, New York: he reportedly got up to greet her at the close of her performance, which is quite an honor (in addition to leading the world's Catholics, he is also a head of state). Here's a video of her performance:



Posted on April 19, 2008
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The Real Reason Jessica Simpson Was Hospitalized

Star Magazine claims that Jessica Simpson's recent hospitalization was because of binge drinking and alcohol poisoning, not because of a kidney infection as was originally reported.

A source tells Star the singer was hospitalized after months of hard drinking with beau Tony Romo. Even more shocking, Jess asked for a pregnancy test! Ashlee Simpson's big sis was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. on March 28 and remained there for four days. Reps for the singer said she was being treated for a "kidney infection," but an insider tells Star it was more than that. Jessica's health problems were "brought on by drinking an obscene amount of alcohol," says the source. "She was treated for a kidney infection, a bladder infection and a urinary tract infection."

Adding to her distress, anxious Jessica asked doctors to give her a pregnancy test! "She was a nervous wreck," says the insider. "She was three weeks late and convinced she was pregnant. She was feeling really weak and really scared. She was unraveling."

*****

"She used to keep her drinks to a minimum, because she's very conscientious about the calories," says a source. "But Tony and his buddies really party hard, and I think they expect Jessica to keep up with them. But she is like a third of their weight and just can't hold as much as they can."

Jessica, dear, you can't possibly try to keep up with Tony Romo in a drinking contest. Give up and order a Diet Coke!

Posted on April 18, 2008
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Madonna's Video Message to Her Fans

Madonna has a message for her fans who are making their own videos to her new single "Four Minutes to Save the World." We're a little shocked: Madonna remembers how to use a vacuum cleaner??? We're impressed, because surely she has a veritable army of housekeepers at this point in her life.

Posted on April 17, 2008
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Ashlee Simpson Eating For Two Now

Despite Pete Wentz's denials, it looks like Ashlee Simpson is pregnant, after all. People magazine reports:

Ashlee Simpson is pregnant and plans to get married next month at a private residence in Southern California, a source close to her family tells PEOPLE. Simpson, 23, is engaged to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, 28, who initially blasted pregnancy rumors as a "witch hunt."

But on Tuesday, Simpson, sidestepped the rumors during an interview with MTV after taping TRL in New York, saying simply, "Some things you want to keep personal." And now the source tells PEOPLE that not only is Simpson pregnant, but that she's planning to have her wedding in May at a friend's house in La Jolla, Calif., north of San Diego.

People doesn't print stuff like this without a good source, so....congratulations to the happy couple!!

Posted on April 15, 2008
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Pete Wentz Denies Ashlee Baby Rumors

Now that Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson are engaged, the tabloids are claiming that Ashlee is pregnant and has a due date in October. But Pete Wentz says that's a "witch hunt" and not true.

In an e-mail to MTV News, he denied reports that that surfaced Monday (April 14) on the Web sites of OK! magazine and Us Weekly that he and Simpson, 23, and Wentz, 28, are expecting their first child. "There is a witch hunt for people to be pregnant whenever they get engaged in Hollywood," he wrote. "This is all news to me. I can't wait for the story about how I'm really in a gay relationship and this is all just a cover. ... I mean really, this is crazy. ... I mean we're engaged, that's true, and happy about it." Asked again if he was denying reports that Simpson is pregnant, Wentz replied, "Yeah."

OK! and Us Weekly both cited unnamed sources close to the couple in their stories. OK!, which reports that the baby is due in October, offered as "proof" an account of Ashlee dealing with a "fierce bout of what appeared to be morning sickness" during a lunch at Malibu's Chart House restaurant. "Ashlee would like to walk down the aisle before she's showing," a source told OK! "Although she's very cute the way she's always checking out her belly now and asking everyone, 'Am I showing yet?' "

The report then goes on to say that the couple are currently living in Simpson's Hollywood Hills home, but that "they are already talking about finding something more kid-friendly."

We'll believe Pete for now. After all, it will become quite obvious quite soon if there is any truth to the rumors.

Posted on April 14, 2008
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Amy Wnehouse's New Addiction

Amy Winehouse has a new addiction: ironing. Yes, that's what we said. Ironing.

The troubled star, 24, has been ironing everything she can get her hands on - even towels, sheets and scarves.

A source said: "She has become absolutely obsessed with ironing things. Not just her clothes but also towels, sheets, scarves. Anything really. She's a very obsessive person and has always been addicted to something. We've had cannabis, cocaine, crack, heroin and her husband Blake Fielder-Civil."

"All the others have been rather more destructive, apart from knitting, which she has also had an on/off love affair with. But ironing is definitely her new favorite."

An on again, off again affair with knitting? Obsessive ironing? This is just eight kinds of crazy. Still, the OCD cleaning thing is better than crack or heroin. We're just saying.

Posted on April 13, 2008
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Miss Texas Wins Miss USA Pageant



Crystle Stewart was crowned Miss USA 2008 at the conclusion of the telecast from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for the Performing Arts, in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 11, 2008. Crystle hails from Missouri City, Texas and runs a party planning and motivation speaking company. She also models on the side. We wish her a scandal-free year ahead!

Posted on April 12, 2008
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Mario Lopez Heads to Broadway

Mario Lopez is about to make his Broadway debut. On April 15, 2008 he'll star in A Chorus Line as Zach, the director who is casting the chorus roles for a new Broadway musical.

"Every actor dreams about appearing on a Broadway stage. I have as well, and have been searching for the right time and opportunity," said Mario. "A Chorus Line is a legendary musical and I am so honored to have been chosen to join the amazing cast and be a part of the Broadway family."

Mario will star in the show until Sunday, September 7 with a hiatus from Sunday, May 11 through Tuesday, June 3rd. We think he's going to be fabulous. And he was totally robbed of the win on Dancing with the Stars.

Posted on April 11, 2008
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Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Engaged

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are engaged.

Ashlee Simpson, 23 and her rocker boyfriend, Pete Wentz, 28, are tying the knot, Usmagazine.com has confirmed. A rep for Simpson tells Us, "Yes, they are happily engaged." Earlier today, the singer told Us, "I'm really happy!" One possible cause for the quickie engagement - a pregnancy, to which her rep had no comment and referred Us to friendsorenemies.com, where Simpson posted the following Wednesday:

"We know there has been a lot of speculation recently about Pete and I, and we wanted our fans to be the first to know, because you guys are the best. Yes, we are thrilled to share that we are happily engaged." Simpson and Wentz began dating in late 2006. (See what a body language expert had to say about their relationship here.) "They are ecstatic and can't wait to be man and wife," a source tells Us. "They will be getting married before the end of the year."

Will he wear guyliner to the wedding? We certainly hope so!

Posted on April 10, 2008
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