People: Paris keeps the ears burning
Whatever Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie might be up to, at least Paris Hilton can scratch her next court date from her calendar.
A settlement in a $10 million defamation lawsuit has been reached between the hotel heiress-reality TV star and diamond heiress-actress Zeta Graf.
Details of the “amicable resolution” were not released. A trial had been scheduled to begin Monday.
In the suit, Graff claimed that Hilton spread “vicious lies” about her to the New York Post in 2005.
The paper reported that Graff – who once dated Hilton’s then-fiance, Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis – went “berserk” at a nightclub, tried to strangle Hilton and attempted to steal her diamond necklace.
Graff denied the report and claimed that Hilton said, “I’m going to destroy you” after trying to oust her from the club.
A former publicist for Hilton said in a deposition that she asked him to help plant the story and that he gave the paper comments, dictated by her, that he attributed to himself, Hilton and anonymous sources.
Those stories were all wet
David Hasselhoff accepted libel damages Friday from OK! Weekly and its sister British publication, which accused him of being drunk and abusive in a Hollywood nightclub after recently gaining custody of his daughters.
“The very day these lies surfaced I had made a promise not only to the court but also to my daughters that I absolutely would not drink alcohol and I shall continue to do my best to keep that promise,” said the former “Baywatch” star, who’s a recovering alcoholic.
Meanwhile, Hasselhoff’s ex-wife, actress Pamela Bach, is being sued for $40,000 in unpaid fees by her former divorce lawyer.
In a puff of smoke
Diddy’s Labor Day party won’t light up the night quite as much as he envisioned.
East Hampton Town officials have recjected hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ plans for a $100,000 fireworks show for fear it could draw boaters to a risky, rocky area and would conflict with another show scheduled nearby.
They do fine Miss M.
Hawaii officials have recommended that Bette Midler be fined $6,500 for cutting down more than 230 trees around one of her Kauai properties without a permit.
The Honolulu-born singer/actress didn’t know she needed the permit, her lawyer said, adding that she plans to pay the fines and will follow a replanting program.
Wasn’t that their first album?
Brian May has completed his doctorate in astrophysics – three decades after putting his studies on hold to form the rock group Queen.
May’s thesis was titled “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Sean Connery is 77. Talk show host Regis Philbin is 76. Actor Tom Skerritt is 74. Musician Gene Simmons (Kiss) is 58. Musician Elvis Costello is 53. Director Tim Burton is 49. Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is 46. Actor Blair Underwood is 43. TV personality Rachael Ray is 39. Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 37. Model Claudia Schiffer is 37. Actress Rachel Bilson (“The O.C.”) is 26.