Hollywood's A-list turns out for Newman charity

SAN FRANCISCO – A Hollywood who's-who turned out for an annual fundraiser for Paul Newman's children's camp that doubled as a tribute to the late actor.

The lineup for a dramatic reading of "The World of Nick Adams" on Monday night at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall already was set when the acting legend died of cancer Sept. 26 at the age of 83. The event benefited The Painted Turtle, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, that was started by Newman in 1999.

"We expected Paul to be with us and so this kind of turned into kind of a tribute," said Danny Glover, who joined Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty, Sean Penn and other big names in the reading. "This is the first time we are doing this without Paul — there is a void there, without a doubt."

Some 2,500 people attended the star-studded benefit, which began with a video in which Newman discussed his work with the Association of Hole in The Wall Camps, which runs 11 camps around the world including The Painted Turtle.

"What I was trying to do was acknowledge luck," Newman said in the video narrated by Nicholson. "If you acknowledge it, you have to do something about it — something for the less fortunate."

There was no mention of Newman during the scripted 90-minute reading, which are the words of Ernest Hemingway adapted for television by A.E. Hotchner, who started the food company Newman's Own with the actor. But after the performance, children from the camp joined the 17 actors on stage as singer Bonnie Raitt performed "Put a Little Love Into Your Heart," which she dedicated to Newman.

Newman and the Newman's Own brand have given more than $250 million to charity over the years.

Hanks, who starred with Newman in 2002's "Road to Perdition," remembered him Monday as a down-to-earth actor who was always willing to share the screen.

"Paul was a member of the ensemble more than anything else," Hanks said. "He didn't care about the hierarchy, but he was a guy, quite frankly, who should have won the Nobel Peace Prize."

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On the Net:

http://www.holeinthewallcamps.org

Hilary Duff touts food for needy program in Ind.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Hilary Duff visited a Fort Wayne elementary school to promote a program to help feed needy students.

Duff, star of the Disney TV show "Lizzie McGuire" and the movie "Cheaper By the Dozen," visited South Wayne Elementary School on Tuesday to publicize Blessings in a Backpack, a program that gives backpacks filled with food to low-income students so they can eat on the weekend.

"I feel lucky enough to have a voice or a name that people might pay attention to," said Duff, 21. "I think that people might not be aware that a couple neighborhoods away, kids aren't having food on the weekends, and we just want people to be informed and to know what's going on in their communities and to help if they can."

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On the Net: http://www.blessingsinabackpack.com

Men sue Lindsay Lohan over wild ride

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A wild ride that led to Lindsay Lohan's arrest has sparked another lawsuit. Court records show that three men who claim they were in a sport utility vehicle that Lohan commandeered in July 2007 sued the "Mean Girls" star last week.

Their allegations include battery, false imprisonment and that the actress was negligent when she allegedly took over one of the men's SUV to chase her recently fired assistant.

That chase ended when the assistant's mother called police because she was being followed and led Lohan toward a police station. Officers suspected Lohan was drunk and arrested her.

Lohan's attorney calls the lawsuit, first reported by TMZ, "absurd."

The men are seeking more than $25,000.

Palin draws big ratings for 'Saturday Night Live'

NEW YORK – The entertainment summit of the season — Sarah Palin and her impersonator, Tina Fey — earned "Saturday Night Live" its best ratings in 14 years. But if you blinked, you might have missed it.

Fey was answering questions at a news conference, something Palin hasn't done yet as the Republican vice presidential nominee, when Palin walked on the stage. Fey beat a hasty retreat in the opening segment, walking past the real Palin with a barely perceptible nod.

If anyone was hoping for a side-by-side photo of the identically dressed women, they were out of luck.

Palin's guest shot, widely anticipated since Fey began imitating her a month ago, led "Saturday Night Live" to its highest mark in overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings since March 1994, when assaulted skater Nancy Kerrigan was guest host.

Although a complete audience estimate for the rest of the country won't be available until later in the week, it is likely to be around 14 million.

For the first half-hour, when Palin first came out, the audience was about 17 million. That's pretty impressive for a TV program around midnight. The week before, only two other shows in prime time had a bigger audience, Nielsen said.

Palin told WWOR-TV in New York in an interview airing Sunday that she had a great time — but did not attend the after-party.

"We need more of these days when it is just fun," she said. "I would do it again."

Her running mate, John McCain, watched clips of the broadcast on Sunday.

"Did you catch Sarah Palin on 'Saturday Night Live'?" he asked a crowd in Toledo, Ohio. "She did a great job."

In the show's opening, Fey's Palin said at a news conference: "First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media, as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions."

Moments later, the camera cut away to the real Palin watching a television monitor alongside the show's executive producer, Lorne Michaels.

Palin stood quietly as Fey's "30 Rock" co-star Alec Baldwin came by, mistook Palin for Fey and pleaded with Michaels not to let the actor go onstage with the governor.

"This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want her, our Tina, to go out there and stand with that horrible woman?" Baldwin said.

When Michaels introduced him to Palin, Baldwin feigned embarrassment and replied: "I see. Forgive me. I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person."

Palin got even, saying: "Thank you, and I must say, your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother." Stephen Baldwin is a born-again Christian who attended the Republican national convention in 2004.

Alec Baldwin ushered her onstage past Fey, where Palin delivered the show's traditional opening: "Live from New York, it's Saturday night."

Palin later appeared alongside Seth Meyers on "Weekend Update," declining to perform a rap song that had been written for her. Amy Poehler "filled in" for Palin as actors dressed as Eskimos, Palin's husband, Todd, and a moose danced across the stage.

"All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up," Poehler rapped, as a bopping Palin followed the instructions. "All the plumbers in the house, pull your pants up."

Palin's appearance had been confirmed by the McCain campaign a day earlier. "Saturday Night Live" had been reluctant to do so, feeling embarrassed when it announced Barack Obama would show up for the season's first show and he canceled hours ahead of time, but the early word created heavy anticipation.

Michaels owes Palin a debt of gratitude. "Saturday Night Live" so far this season has been up 76 percent over last year at this time, Nielsen said.

Even beyond that, the Fey skits have gone viral over the Internet, drawing more attention to the show. One study last week said only one-third of people who had seen Fey's impersonations did so on live TV; the rest saw them on DVRs or on their computers.

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Associated Press writer Glen Johnson contributed to this report.

Travolta film victim of violence in French project

Officials say that a John Travolta movie has suspended filming in one of the Paris area's toughest housing projects after 10 cars to be used in the movie were burned.

Filming of some scenes of the action movie "From Paris With Love" was supposed to start this week but local officials and the production company say it was put on hold because the cars were burned by unknown suspects early Monday.

Cars are regularly burned in French housing projects, most famously during rioting that raged for three weeks in 2005 in poor neighborhoods across the country.

The mayor's office of Montfermeil, where the housing project is located, says 90 residents were to serve as extras. The Europacorp production company says only that filming of the housing project scenes is suspended pending a review.

Lisa Marie Presley gives birth to twins

Lisa Marie Presley is a mom again. A publicist says the 40-year-old singer gave birth Tuesday to twin girls, whose names were not released. One baby weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces and the other came in at 5 pounds and 2 ounces.

A statement released Saturday says Presley gave birth by Caesarean section. She lives in the Los Angeles area and the publicist says the births took place somewhere on the West Coast but won't provide details.

The statement says "babies and mom are happy and healthy and resting at home."

Presley is the daughter of Elvis Presley and is married to music producer Michael Lockwood. She has a 19-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son by a previous marriage.

Even Britney Spears wonders what she was thinking

If you're wondering what was going through Britney Spears' head during her erratic era, you are not alone — so does she.

"I sit there and I look back and I'm like, 'I'm a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?'" Spears said in an interview to air on MTV on Nov. 30, two days before the release of her new album. "I've been through a lot in the past two or three years, and there's a lot that people don't know."

The 90-minute special, "Britney: For The Record," was executive-produced by Spears' manager Larry Rudolph. It features behind-the-scenes footage of the singer and her talking about her life over the past two years.

She's got a lot to talk about: In that time span, she has gotten divorced, been through a custody battle, gone to rehab, had very public meltdowns and had one memorably bad performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Now on the comeback trail, Spears is releasing her sixth album, "Circus," on Dec. 2, her 27th birthday.

Spears says she's hoping this TV special will "set the record straight" about her life.

Hugh Hefner opens up about Holly Madison breakup

Hugh Hefner is down a girlfriend. Hefner and Holly Madison, one of E!'s "The Girls Next Door," are no longer dating. Hefner said he's been "down in the dumps" about the split.

The 28-year-old model-actress stars in the reality series with Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt as one of the 82-year-old publisher's girlfriends who live with Hefner in the Playboy Mansion.

"If Holly says it's over, I guess it's over," Hefner said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "She's still here in the house. Until a few days ago, we were still sharing the same bed."

Hefner was surprised to hear Madison discussing their breakup, but acknowledged he knew a split was imminent after he told Madison that they would never wed or have children.

In a video posted on TMZ.com Tuesday, Madison said she's no longer with Hefner. She also said she is "still filming stuff together" with Wilkinson and Marquardt.

Hefner said Madison learned the pair would never have children or get married six months ago, adding: "The fact that she was depressed after that, I didn't know at all. That was a revelation in the last days and weeks. Quite frankly, we thought when the time came, we would make a combined statement and we expected that combined statement would be somewhere in the weeks and months ahead."

"The Girls Next Door" premiered on E! in 2001 and is in its fifth season. Hefner said he and the three women are committed to a sixth season, but he plans to seek out new live-in lovers. Hefner said 19-year-old Playmate twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon are living in the mansion, but they're aren't his girlfriends — yet.

"It's now apparent there will be some new faces in my personal life and on the show," he said. "There's been moments that I've been down in the dumps about all this, and (personal assistant) Mary (O'Connor) told me to cheer up and pointed out that there are girls lined up outside the front gate. At my age, that's hard to believe, but it seems to be true."

Hefner's relationship with his remaining two girlfriends — Marquardt, 35, and Wilkinson, 23 — may also be in flux. Hefner said Marquardt is in Europe filming the new Travel Channel series "Bridget's Beaches," and Wilkinson may soon move out of the mansion and get her own apartment. Hefner said E! is interested in spin-offs with all three women.

The Playboy mogul expects to maintain a business relationship and friendship with Madison, who — along with Marquardt — originally was one of seven girlfriends living with Hefner in 2001 after his separation from Kimberley Conrad. Wilkinson was later asked to move into the Playboy Mansion in 2004. Hefner said he may again seek out seven — or more — girlfriends.

"It's a big house," he said. "And I'm not going to live alone. I'm definitely not going to live alone."

David Duchovny checks out of sex addiction rehab

An attorney for David Duchovny says the actor has checked out of a rehabilitation facility for treatment of sex addiction.

Duchovny, who plays a sex-obsessed character on Showtime's "Californication," voluntarily entered the facility in late August.

Says lawyer Stanton Stein: "David has successfully completed his rehabilitation, he is out of rehab and will be starting a movie soon."

Duchovny starred as the conspiracy-minded Fox Mulder on "The X-Files" TV series and in two films.

The 48-year-old actor and his wife, actress Tea Leoni, have two children. The couple married in 1997.

Salma Hayek helping fight tetanus in moms, babies

Hollywood mom Salma Hayek is lending her star power to a UNICEF campaign to eradicate tetanus in mothers and babies around the world within four years.

Hayek, a paid spokeswoman for Pampers' tetanus vaccine program, recounted her experiences during a recent trip to the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where she met with tetanus victims.

"One of the things that was very moving about the trip was to see 15-year-old girls, really young, taking responsibility for their lives and their children before they're born by saying 'I am going to be healthy, I am going to take this vaccination,'" she told journalists at the United Nations on Thursday.

"I had no idea how much this was going to really personally move me," added the 42-year-old star of films including "Desperado" and "Frida."

The Pampers-UNICEF partnership has already provided over 50 million vaccines to mothers and babies in developing countries, where tetanus kills up to 140,000 infants and 30,000 women each year, according to the U.N. agency.

Pampers, owned by Procter & Gamble Co., said it would give UNICEF the money for one tetanus vaccine for every pack of specially marked diapers it sells before the end of the year. It expects that to produce 70 million more vaccinations.

Hayek's daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault was born in September 2007.