January 10, 2008 in Features

Is Dr. Phil too full of himself?

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Associated Press photo

Britney SpearsAssociated Press
(Full-size photo)

Britney Spears‘ family says “Dr. Phil” McGraw crossed the line by not keeping his mouth shut after visiting her in the hospital.

Lou Taylor, a business manager for Spears’ mother, Lynne, and younger sister, Jamie Lynn, said on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday that McGraw betrayed the family’s trust by talking to the media about Spears’ mental health.

“The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements,” Taylor said.

McGraw said earlier this week that he was shelving plans for a show on Spears’ latest breakdown, which saw her hospitalized over the weekend following a child custody dispute involving a police standoff, calling her predicament “too intense.”

Taylor said Spears’ handlers were the ones who called that off, saying it would be “detrimental” to the family.

For his part, McGraw told “Entertainment Tonight”: “Somebody needs to step up and get this young woman into some quality care – and I do not apologize one whit, not one second, for trying to make that happen.”

Sour grapes

A cookbook author is suing Jerry Seinfeld‘s wife for supposedly stealing her idea for a healthy cookbook for kids – and Seinfeld himself for slandering her.

In the suit, Missy Chase Lapine points out that when the comedian discussed the dispute on David Letterman‘s show in October, he referred to her as a “wacko.”

He went on to add: “If you read history, many of the three-name people do become assassins” – citing Mark David Chapman and James Earl Ray.

Beanie bagged again

Rap star Beanie Sigel was briefly jailed Wednesday and ordered to live in a halfway house for six months following a second probation violation, just weeks before his federal probation was to have ended.

A judge found that he took an unauthorized trip to Atlantic City, N.J., and had contact with a convicted felon.

In recent years, Sigel spent a year in federal prison on a gun charge, was acquitted of attempted murder after that and later was arrested for failing to pay child support.

He says he’s since turned his life around, working with young people.

Melting in his mouth?

Eminem is recovering from a bout with pneumonia that sent him to the hospital over the holidays.

TMZ.com claims that the 35-year-old hip-hop megastar has gained so much weight that he’s pushing 200 pounds.

Pounds? She could use a few

Euros? Dollars? Pounds?

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen insists she’s perfectly happy with them all, denying reports she’s shunning the weak U.S. dollar in favor of European currency.

The birthday bunch

Singer Frank Sinatra Jr. is 64. Singer Rod Stewart is 63. Singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 60. Actor William Sanderson (“Deadwood”) is 60. Singer Pat Benatar is 55. Singer Shawn Colvin is 52. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 29.

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