EXPECTING
On June 26, CNN Headline News anchorwoman Nancy Grace, 47, announced on
her show that she will have twins later this year with her husband,
investment banker David Linch, 48, whom she secretly married in
April.... R&B singer Usher, 27, and his fiancé stylist Tameka Foster,
34, will welcome their first child together this fall.... Actress
Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (NYPD Blue), 40, and her husband, talent agent
Michael Nilon, are expecting twin boys in November.
SPLIT
On July 2, a spokesperson for Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses), 60,
announced that the author and his wife, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, 36,
will divorce after three years, citing ''her desire to end their
marriage.''
UPDATE
Lindsay Lohan, 21, who checked into Malibu's Promises rehab facility on
May 28, plans to prolong her stay through its extended-care program.
According to Promises' website, the program is designed to help ''make
the transition from residential alcohol or drug rehab treatment back
into their community.''
TRIBUTE
On July 1, Princes William, 25, and Harry, 22, joined a slew of musical
acts — including Duran Duran, Elton John, Lily Allen, and Nelly
Furtado — at London's Wembley Stadium to celebrate the life of Princess
Diana, on what would have been her 46th birthday. Reports estimate that
more than 60,000 attended the concert and 500 million around the world
watched coverage on TV.
COURTS
Rapper Eve, 28, pleaded no contest on June 28 to a misdemeanor
drunken-driving charge stemming from an arrest on April 26. She was
ordered to wear an alcohol- detecting ankle bracelet for 45 days, attend
at least 10 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and spend three years on
informal probation.
DEATHS
World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit, 40, his wife Nancy, 43,
and their son Daniel, 7, were found dead inside their Fayetteville, Ga.,
home on June 25 in what police are saying was an apparent
murder-suicide. According to authorities, the wrestler asphyxiated Nancy
and Daniel before hanging himself. Federal investigators have not
determined a possible motive, but they report that steroids were found
at the scene. Investigators also claim that over the last year, Benoit's
doctor, Phil Astin, routinely prescribed approximately 10 times the
normal amount of steroids to the wrestler. Astin's lawyer did not return
calls for comment. At press time, no charges had been filed.... Hank
Medress, 68, singer for the Tokens, whose doo-wop vocals are included on
the 1961 hit version of ''The Lion Sleeps Tonight,'' of lung cancer, June
18, in NYC.... Designer Liz Claiborne, 78, of cancer, June 26, in
NYC.... Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang, 59, who won the Cannes director
prize for Yi Yi in 2000, of colon cancer, June 29, in Beverly Hills. — Additional reporting by Stewart Allen and Tanner Stransky
Legacy: Joel Siegel (1943-2007)
The frank film critic known for his pithy reviews on Good Morning
America, Siegel, 63, died in NYC on June 29 after a decade-long battle
with colon cancer. He is survived by wife Ena Swansea and their
9-year-old son Dylan. ''Film critic may have been his job description,''
said GMA host Diane Sawyer in a statement, ''[but] what he really did was
tell us about the wonder and heartbreak of life. He was...completely in
love with every new day.'' — Tanner Stransky
Marshall and the Law
On June 20, Deborah Novak and John Witek sued the makers of We Are
Marshall, including Warner Bros. and director McG, for $40 million. The
duo — who created the 2000 documentary Ashes to Glory — claim that their
award-winning film served as a basis for the 2006 feature starring
Matthew McConaughey. Both movies tell the story of the Marshall
University football team, which lost 36 members and almost all of its
coaching staff after a 1970 plane crash. Novak and Witek also claim the
producers never fulfilled their promise of onscreen credits and
compensation for their involvement in the project. McG did not return
calls for comment. — Adam Markovitz
