APOLOGIES
After hearing allegations of sexual and physical abuse at her South
African Leadership Academy for Girls, Oprah Winfrey, 53, visited the
school in Henley on Klip on Oct. 20 to apologize to parents and
students. ''I will do everything in my power to ensure [the girls']safety,'' she said in a statement. No arrests have been made, but
administrators dismissed a dorm parent.
TOURING
Rapper Jay-Z (né Shawn Carter), 37, will play five concerts in support
of his upcoming album, American Gangster. Kicking off Nov. 6 in L.A.,
the tour travels to Chicago, Baltimore, and NYC before ending Nov. 12 in
Philadelphia.
ARRESTS
Lost actor Daniel Dae Kim, 39, was arrested for allegedly driving under
the influence of alcohol on Oct. 25 in Honolulu. He is the third cast
member of the ABC series to face DUI charges, after the Dec. 1, 2005,
arrests of Cynthia Watros, 39, and Michelle Rodriguez, 29. ''I am deeply ashamed,'' Kim said in a statement. A rep for Lost says Kim's arrest
''will not affect the show.''
COURTS
Foxy Brown (née Inga Marchand), 29, received 76 days in solitary at an
NYC jail on Oct. 17 after fighting with an inmate and refusing a drug
test. The rapper is serving one year for a parole violation stemming
from a 2004 assault.... Citing ''insufficient evidence,'' on Oct. 26, L.A.
officials decided not to prosecute Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the
Caribbean), 30, on hit-and-run charges. On Oct. 12, the actor collided
with vacant parked cars as he was being chased by paparazzi.... While
we're on the subject of hit-and-runs, the case against Britney Spears,
25, was dismissed on Oct. 25 when she reached a settlement with the
owner of the car she struck in an L.A. parking lot on Aug. 6. She still
faces a charge of driving without a valid license.... Still more Spears
news: On Oct. 30, after a month of hearings, an L.A. judge denied her
appeal for custody of sons Sean, 2, and Jayden, 1. They'll stay with
their father, Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, 29, who was awarded
full custody on Oct. 1. The ruling was based largely on the findings of
a court-appointed parenting coach, who observed the singer in her home
and reported that she ''rarely engaged with the children in either
conversation or play.'' Spears will retain three weekly supervised visits
as long as she childproofs her houses and complies with regular drug
tests. Her rep did not return calls for comment.
DEATHS
German-born cook Friedman Paul Erhardt (a.k.a. ''Chef Tell''), 63, a
frequent guest on Live With Regis & Kathie Lee — and the purported
inspiration for The Muppet Show's Swedish Chef — of heart failure, Oct.
26, in Upper Black Eddy, Pa. — Additional reporting by Stewart Allen
Robert Goulet (1933 — 2007)
A Tony-winning singer best known for wooing Julie Andrews in Broadway's Camelot, Goulet, 73, died of pulmonary fibrosis on Oct. 30
in L.A. His mustachioed charm and booming baritone made him a star on
screens big (Atlantic City) and small (The Ed Sullivan Show), a staple on the Las Vegas strip, and a prime target for good-natured parodies by
the likes of SNL and The Simpsons. — Adam Markovitz
