EXPECTING
Today show's Matt Lauer, 48, and wife Annette Roque, 40, are expecting a
third child.... Bryce Dallas Howard (Lady in the Water), 25, will
welcome her first child this winter with actor Seth Gabel, 24, whom she
wed in June.
ENGAGED
Rapper Kanye West, 29, reportedly popped the question to longtime
girlfriend Alexis.
SPLITS
Actress Kate Hudson, 27, is separating from her spouse, Black Crowes
singer Chris Robinson, 39. They have been married for nearly six
years.... On Aug. 10, Carmen Electra, 34, filed for divorce from her
husband of almost three years, guitarist Dave Navarro, 39.
BIG WINNER
Jamie Gold, 36, a former agent who worked with actors like Felicity
Huffman and James Gandolfini in the '90s, took home the $12 million pot
on Aug. 11 at Las Vegas' World Series of Poker.
CONTROVERSY
Nobel Prize-winning German author Günter Grass (The Tin Drum), 78,
admitted he was drafted into the Nazis' Waffen SS elite force during
WWII. Long known as a pacifist, Grass insists his enlistment wasn't
voluntary.
COURTS
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba), 44, was arrested Aug. 11 in L.A.
on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. He was later
released, and no charges have been filed at this time. Says his rep:
''There was a misunderstanding, that's all.''.... The divorce proceedings
of feuding exes Charlie Sheen, 40, and Denise Richards, 35, ended
amicably in L.A. on Aug. 14. Lawyers declined to elaborate on the terms
of the agreement.... Stephen Kolodny, lawyer to Lisa Kerkorian (ex-wife
of onetime MGM titan Kirk Kerkorian), filed suit on Aug. 9 against two
of the billionaire's lawyers, Terry Christensen and Dennis Wasser, and
scandal-embroiled PI Anthony Pellicano. The claim: that Christensen and
Wasser hired Pellicano to illegally tap Kolodny's phone during the
Kerkorian divorce proceedings. Kolodny is seeking unspecified damages.
Says a partner from Christensen's firm: ''This lawsuit is totally without
merit.'' Neither Wasser nor Pellicano's rep returned calls for comment.
RECOVERING
After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams, 55, is seeking treatment for
alcohol abuse. According to his rep, the actor ''has decided to take
proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the
well-being of his family.''
DEATHS
Actress Lois January, 93, most famous for her role as Emerald City's
salon operator in The Wizard of Oz, of complications from Alzheimer's,
Aug. 7, in L.A.... John Alderson, 90, a longtime character actor in
small- and big-screen Westerns (like TV's Maverick), of natural causes,
Aug. 4, in Woodland Hills, Calif.... Swiss film director Daniel Schmid(Tosca's Kiss), 64, of cancer, Aug. 6, in Flims, Switzerland.
LEGACY
Mike Douglas 1925-2006
The Mike Douglas Show (syndicated, 1963-82) ushered in the feel-good
daytime talk show. Without Douglas, who died Aug. 11 at age 81, there'd
be no Oprah, no Ellen, no Tony Danza (hey, Mike sang on his show too — and
he had hit singles!). Douglas warmly welcomed everyone, from John and
Yoko to Malcolm X to a then-2-year-old golf prodigy, Tiger Woods. ''He
was a kind and gentle man,'' says Rosie O'Donnell. ''I have fond memories
of watching him on his show when I was a little girl.'' —Ken Tucker
