Houston solution: a dissolution
Whitney Houston has filed for divorce from husband Bobby Brown, her publicist announced Wednesday.
The couple, who wed in 1992, have had a tumultuous marriage and rumors of their breakup have surfaced often over the years.
They have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 13.
Houston, 43, had her greatest success in the 1980s and ‘90s with several No. 1 records, including the megahit “I Will Always Love You” from the 1992 film “The Bodyguard” – in which she also starred opposite Kevin Costner.
She has not been as active in the last decade and has battled drug problems.
Brown, 37, has had a history of drug and alcohol arrests and was sentenced to 90 days in jail in 2004 for missing three months of child support payments for two other children.
He recently reunited with his old soul group New Edition for a show at July’s Essence Musical Festival, where he jumped suggestively around the stage and made vulgar remarks about his sex life with Houston.
Smith son death ‘suspicious’
The Bahamas coroner’s office is launching a formal inquest into the “suspicious” death of Anna Nicole Smith‘s 20-year-old son, which could lead to criminal charges.
Authorities said another person was in the Nassau hospital room where Daniel Wayne Smith died Sunday while visiting his mother, three days after she gave birth to a baby girl. They declined to reveal that person’s identity.
They did say that Daniel Smith did not die of natural causes, was not physically injured, and that no drug paraphernalia or traces of illegal drugs were found on his body, in the hospital room or near the room.
Yup, she did it again
Britney Spears gave birth to her second son early Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital, according to several entertainment magazines.
The baby boy was delivered by a scheduled Cesarean section procedure, People.com reported. His name was not immediately known.
Spears and husband Kevin Federline have another son, Sean Preston, who celebrates his first birthday today.
Still a terrestrial girl
On a sadder note, Madonna will not be sent into outer space in 2008, despite a Russian lawmaker’s proposal to book the pop star a seat on a flight to the international space station.
“Because of the television possibilities, it would be a pretty serious event in the year of elections in the United States and Russia,” State Duma member Alexei Mitrofanov said.
The Duma rejected the idea, but a Russian space agency spokesman said a seat on the Soyuz spacecraft might be available in 2009.
Quoteworthy
Meredith Vieria, making her “Today” show debut Wednesday as Matt Lauer‘s co-host: “I feel like it’s the first day of school and I’m sitting next to the cutest guy.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”) is 70. Singer-actress Joey Heatherton is 62. Actor Sam Neill is 59. Actress Faith Ford (“Faith and Hope”) is 42. Actor Dan Cortese is 38. Bassist Craig Montoya (Everclear) is 36. Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley (“According to Jim”) is 35. Rapper Nas is 33. Actor Adam Lamberg (“Lizzie McGuire”) is 22.