Paris Hilton is off the hook, off probation in Vegas drug case

Paris Hilton may be offering Chris Brown some stiff competition in the I'm Really Good at Probation Department -- a judge on Tuesday praised Hilton's extra-credit efforts doing community service and closed out her case.

Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure closed out Hilton's probation after reviewing documents from her attorneys that in his opinion indicated "Miss Hilton was attentive, cooperative and fully engaged."

"The assessment here is that she understands the seriousness of the situation and the consequences of her actions," he said, according to the Las Vegas Sun. In working for Union Rescue Mission in L.A., a graffiti-removal team in Hollywood, an animal shelter in Las Vegas and the Race to Erase MS campaign, Hilton clocked more than the 200 hours she'd been tasked with.

And here we thought Breezy was the only celeb earning gold stars from the legal system. Though since Brown is working off a felony assault conviction, not a misdemeanor, he still has a few years of probation ahead of him. (Even so -- Lindsay, are you taking notes?)

Hilton did not have to appear in court Tuesday. As part of a plea deal that turned an arrest on suspicion of felony drug possession into a misdemeanor conviction for drug possession and obstructing an officer, she was required to pay a $2,000 fine, serve 200 hours of community service, complete drug counseling and stay out of trouble for a year on probation.

She and then-beau Cy Waits were pulled over on the Strip in August after officers smelled smoke wafting from the SUV that Waits was driving. When Hilton took a bathroom break supervised by law enforcement, a packet of cocaine fell out of her purse; she later said the drugs and the purse were not hers. The couple were both arrested.

Though Hilton entered her guilty plea in September 2010, Waits' situation was unresolved until late August of this year. He too cut a deal.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Paris Hilton at home in April 2011. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

 

 

Charlotte Ronson toasted by Nicole Richie, sis Samantha Ronson

Every artist has a muse, but designer Charlotte Ronson counts lots of Hollywood gals as her inspiration -- and luckily, they love a good party.

Nicole Richie and Charlotte's sister Samantha Ronson welcomed Kidada and Rashida Jones, Nicky and Paris Hilton, Lake Bell and Mindy Kaling to West Hollywood's Il Sole on Wednesday to celebrate Charlotte's new beauty collection, girly fare inspired by and named for her famous friends.

Richie glowed with a blond updo in a black romper with brass button detail, holding court at her table with the likes of Monet Mazur during a sit-down dinner in the eatery's private dining room. Rounding out the group were a mix of fashion folks and peeps from Sephora, where the line will be carried.

Though the beauty goods were inspired directly by ladies including Rashida, Richie and even the Ronsons' mother, Anne Dexter Jones, it turns out funny lady Bell wasn't among those tapped for a product name.

"What the hell?" Bell cracked.

So what would a Bell-inspired, say, lip gloss be called? Oh my -- turns out the name would include, um, something unprintable.

"'[Something Unprintable]. That's What I'm Talking About. Period.' That's what it would be called," Bell  said.

Quite a name, and perhaps we understand now why her concept wasn't included in the collection. But we'd totally wear that. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Charlotte Ronson, left, Samantha Ronson, Rashida Jones, Nicole Richie and Kidada Jones at the launch of Charlotte Ronson Beauty for Sephora.

Cy Waits: Will a plea deal end his Paris Hilton hangover?

Cy Waits appears to have reached a plea deal on charges stemming from his marijuana-related arrest last summer on the Las Vegas Strip -- which brings him that much closer to finally slamming the door on the Paris Hilton chapter of his life.

Attorney Richard Schonfeld told the court Monday that Waits' case "had been resolved," the Las Vegas Sun reported. Schonfeld said a "miscommunication" resulted in his client not being present at what was to have been a preliminary hearing on charges of felony driving under the influence of marijuana and misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Justice of the Peace William Kephart held the matter over until Wednesday morning. "He's going to be here Wednesday," Schonfeld said outside the courtroom, according to the Sun, without sharing details regarding the a plea.

Waits was driving when he and Hilton were stopped in front of the Wynn Las Vegas hotel last Aug. 27 after officers smelled pot smoke coming from the car.

Long story short: Both were arrested, both were banned from a couple of Wynn nightclubs, she said the purse wasn't hers, and he lost his job running the XS nightclub at Steve Wynn's Encore hotel.

The heiress was charged with felony drug possession after an officer saw a packet of cocaine fall from her purse in the wake of the traffic stop. Hilton was hit with fines and a year of probation in September when she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of cocaine and obstructing an officer. She headed overseas on business immediately after striking the deal but was denied entry to Japan because of her newly minted drug conviction.

In June, Hilton confirmed that she and Waits had broken up -- with the confirmation coming just in time to promote their crumbling-relationship story arc on that week's episode of "The World According to Paris."

"This breakup is something I knew for a number of months needed to happen -– and we finally saw eye to eye," he told People in July. "I need to get back to focusing on my career." He also noted, "Partying is not my thing."

Waits is due in court at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photo: Then-couple Cy Waits and Paris Hilton outside the Van Nuys Courthouse on April 27, 2011. Credit: Nick Ut / Associated Press.

Betty White voted America's 'most trusted' celebrity

Betty White has been voted America's favorite and most trusted celebrity, a new poll indicates.

White, the former "Golden Girls" funnywoman who is currently starring in TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland," beat out Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen as the person "whose endorsement of a company would be most likely to drive business," according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 2,012 Americans.

And she didn't have to go to the Marine Corps birthday ball to do it.

The 89-year-old animal lover won an Emmy last year for her "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig, has appeared on "Community" and in Snickers commercials and was named Associated Press entertainer of the year last December. Perhaps that trustworthy face of hers could help do some damage this fall on her "Punk'd"-style prank show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers"?

The other most favorable celebrities behind White are Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman (who tied for seventh place with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge), Will Smith and Johnny Depp.

Topping the not-so-hot list are: Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, Britney Spears (who ties for third with Kanye West), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tiger Woods, Kim Kardashian, Mel Gibson, Donald Trump and LeBron James.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photo: Betty White in June 2011. Credit: Christopher Polk / Getty Images

Most hated person in America? Surprise! Casey Anthony!

Who's the most hated person in America? Alas, this a nation with some mommy issues, as a new poll shows mothers Casey Anthony and "Octomom" Nadya Suleman flanking Spencer Pratt, the mother of all reality TV jerks, in a big, juicy "overall dislike" statistical sandwich.

Anthony topped the list, which make sense given that it was only June when she was found not guilty of the abuse and murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, and America, being America, perhaps needs a few more minutes to heal. Or at least enough time to figure out where Ms. Anthony has club-hopped off to since her release from jail.

More than half the people surveyed knew of Anthony, and 94% of those who knew of her disliked her. Heck, even the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian felt free to bag on Casey when the not-guilty verdict came down — at least until some folks on Twitter brought up some little trial Kimmie's dad was involved with back in the 1990s.

Ditto in the no-surprises category for No. 3, Octomom, whose ill-behaved and nearly impossible-to-count children reminded America only recently on the "Today" show of the many reasons she should be banned, generally, from the public arena. In case we forgot about the video she did where she was flogging an adult radio personality who was dressed in a baby diaper.

Less predictable though not surprising: Pratt and O.J., two dudes with staying power, only one of whom has been involved in a double-murder trial. If nothing else, they are clearly woven into the fabric of the uber-loathed, with Simpson popping back on the radar at the end of Anthony's trial, with the help of — you got it — Kim Kardashian.

Coming in fifth was heiress Paris Hilton, which was a tad surprising, because the convicted drug offender, boyfriend-slapper and repeat stalker-bait hasn't reproduced or been accused of causing the death of another human being. Heck, she even ended her feud with Kim Kardashian, which has to count for something.

Though Paris and Spencer do have that irritating reality-TV thing in common. OK, 'nuff said.

E-Poll Market Research asked the questions in a survey that tracks, among other metrics, public awareness and the appeal of 6,000 celebrities. The goal apparently is to help clients "make informed decisions for endorsements, casting and product development."

As if all those people considering hiring Casey Anthony, the Octomom, O.J., the "One Night in Paris" star or the hairier half of Speidi as a spokesmodel — Why is Larry Flynt the only name that comes to mind? — don't already know to think twice?

Only in America.

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 — Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photo: Casey Anthony in an Orlando court July 7 during sentencing on four misdemeanor counts of lying to police. Credit: Joe Burbank / Reuters.

 

 

Paris Hilton stalker James Rainford arrested again, outside her Malibu home

Paris Hilton stalker James Rainford was arrested outside the heiress and reality star's Malibu beach house Monday on suspicion of violating a January court order to stay away from her.

Sheriff's deputies said they responded to a call about a "suspicious person standing on the beach" outside Hilton's home. "Someone recognized him as being the man who had given her trouble in the past and the cops arrived pretty quickly," a beachgoer told the Daily Mail. 

The 36-year-old Rainford, who is under a court order to stay 200 yards away from Hilton's property, was being held Tuesday at the Lost Hills Station in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Rainford had pleaded no contest in January in a trespass case -- he had allegedly bicycled past guards at the entrance to her gated community last October, went to her place and began pounding on her door -- earning three years' probation and the restraining order.

In April he pleaded to misdemeanor battery on Hilton's then-boyfriend, Cy Waits, and was sentenced to 227 days in jail, from which he was released early, according to L.A. Now.

That battery incident went down outside Van Nuys Superior Court, where Hilton was headed to testify against Nathan Lee Parada, the knife-wielding man who attempted to break into her Hollywood Hills last August.

Waits held him at gunpoint until police arrived, and Parada was sentenced on June 29 to two years in prison after a jury found him guilty of residential burglary.

Hilton's Twitter feed over the holiday weekend made it clear she was hanging out in Malibu.

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Photo: Paris Hilton in Montmelo, Spain, last month. Credit: Albert Gea / Reuters

 

Paris Hilton confirms that she and Cy Waits have split

Paris Hilton has confirmed news that's been bubbling for a few days: She and Cy Waits have split.

"We're not together anymore. I love him, and we remain really good friends ... ," Hilton told George Lopez on Tuesday, adding, "I feel like the relationship ran its course, and we'll see what happens."

This news was delivered after Lopez rolled video in which Hilton slapped Waits in the face during a New Year's argument in Cabo that was captured for her show "The World According to Paris." Lopez noted that Hilton was "goin' all Tiffany" on Waits, slapping him with a bling-loaded hand. (See it in the video embedded below.)

Waits "has been through a lot with her," a source told E! News last week. "But sometimes it's hard on the relationship because he's not used to this lifestyle, the media and being on a show."

Been through a lot -- hmm, ya think? Among other things, Waits was arrested with Hilton in Las Vegas on suspicion of DUI (which, among other things, cost him his nightclub job at the Wynn), pinned a knife-wielding would-be intruder at gunpoint outside her house, and got twhacked by another of her "ardent fans" outside the Van Nuys courthouse where she was appearing to testify against the knife guy.

Suddenly, "It's not you, it's me" seems woefully inadequate for the situation. The breakup "was a joint and amicable decision," Hilton's rep told People magazine on Tuesday night.

Among the rumored issues between the two, E! sources said: Waits being based in Las Vegas while Hilton travels nonstop, Waits wanting his daughter to have a normal life out of the media glare, and the amount of their private life that has been shown on her Oxygen show.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photos: Paris Hilton and Cy Waits together outside and inside the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, Spain, on June 4. Credits: Robert Marquardt / Getty Images

Osama bin Laden dead: Celebrities take to Twitter

As quickly as the nation learned Sunday night that Osama bin Laden was dead, Hollywood types and other luminaries fired off tweets in reaction to President Obama's news with messages of support for the U.S., mixed emotions over the loss of human life and some pretty heavy re-tweeting.

The always original Kirstie Alley went with humor, sending out, "Ding Dong the Witch is dead... the wicked witch.. Ding Dong the wicked witch is dead!"

Lindsay Lohan wasn't as veiled in her patriotism, shooting off a simple, "Go USA!" 

Which other stars were among those expressing thoughts in 140 characters or less?

@SteveMartinToGo: Slow news day.  

@Alyssa_Milano: AMAZING! This photo, from @nytimes, pretty much says it all. Photo: http://tumblr.com/xul2crc9jr /via @Newsweek 

@ParisHilton: Just landed back in LA, so happy to hear the news of Osama bin Laden's death. He was the face of terrorism and such an evil man. The world is a much better place with him not in it. 

@AndersonCooper: Does anyone else find it moving hearing people singing our national anthem outside the white house gates? I do. 

@JeremyPiven: Amazing night for all of us, innocent people were not harmed and justice prevailed

@KimKardashian: Osama Bin Laden is dead!!! I can't wait to hear President Obama's announcement!!! 

@BillMaher: Somali pirates, Gaddafi's son, now bin Laden - do NOT [mess] with Obama, he's Gangsta!!

@SarahPalinUSA: A Grateful Nation http://fb.me/WCYB81GR

And the Ministry's highly non-scientific calculation of most re-tweeted quote goes to: "I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." — Mark Twain.

Check in at Show Tracker for more celebrity thoughts on a dead Osama bin Laden.

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— Matt Donnelly
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Photos:  Kirstie Alley, left, and Bill Maher, right, were among the stars reacting Sunday to news of Osama bin Laden's death. Bin Laden is shown in a recent screen grab from the FBI's most wanted list online. Credits: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images, left; FBI / Reuters; Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times.

 

Paris Hilton's boyfriend Cy Waits attacked outside Van Nuys court

Is there nowhere Paris Hilton can feel safe? On her way into court Wednesday to testify against a man accused of attempting to break into her home in August, the socialite and boyfriend Cy Waits found themselves in harm's way again as a man identified as one who'd been arrested outside her home last fall reportedly lunged at Waits.

"On my way to the court house to testify against the intruder," Hilton had tweeted earlier in the day. "I'm very nervous to see him face to face again. :( "

Turns out there was someone else to worry about in the vicinity of Van Nuys Superior Court. "That other psycho intruder just punched Cy in the back of the head as we were walking into the court house," Hilton tweeted. "So scary!"

Other intruder? The alleged assailant -- witnesses said he appeared to get a hand on Waits' neck before being seized by a bodyguard and taken away -- was identified as James Rainford. Security guards in October had put Rainford under citizen's arrest outside Hilton's home after he allegedly bicycled past guards at the entrance to her gated community, went to her place and began pounding on her door. 

Rainford, 36, who pleaded no contest to civil assault and was sentenced to three years' probation, said during the incident that he knows Hilton and in fact had permission from her father to marry her, TMZ reported.

[Updated, 5:30 p.m.: Rainford was booked on a misdemeanor shortly before 3 p.m. at the Valley Jail Section of the LAPD's Van Nuys Station; his bail was set at $20,000.]

After facing Nathan Lee Parada in court, Hilton had more to say about the allegedly knife-wielding man who was arrested outside her Sherman Oaks home last August.

"So creepy seeing that guy in court today, it sent shivers down my spine," she tweeted.

Waits had held Parada at gunpoint outside his girlfriend's house until police arrived. News helicopters later caught Hilton, wearing only a towel, checking out the scene from her balcony.

Even with the fracas, court in Van Nuys was at least a little easier on  the heiress than her September court date in Las Vegas.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photos: Cy Waits and Paris Hilton, top, react outside Van Nuys Superior Court after an onlooker later identified as James Rainford allegedly lashed out at Waits on April 27, 2011. A Hilton bodyguard took the man down, right, then escorted him away, left. Credits: Nick Ut / Associated Press

Obama birth certificate: Brought to you by Donald Trump, says Donald Trump

The Obama birth certificate has been made public, shining light on exactly what it takes to get Donald Trump to shut up. Seems it must be something bigger than Obama's birth certificate, the release of which on Wednesday prompted Trump to talk even more.

"I am so proud of myself," the "Celebrity Apprentice" star said before a midday GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire and after calling for the Obama birth certificate for what may have been eternity. "I got this guy to release his birth certificate. I'm really, really happy."

President Obama had a bit to say as well at a White House news briefing after his long-form certificate of live birth was made public. "We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers," that "guy" said, not naming any names. 

As we noted recently, Trump is not the only celebrity getting in on the Obama birth certificate action, though we wonder now if Tracy Morgan really had the president's birth certificate in Brooklyn like he said he did.

"BREAKING NEWS: The President Of The United States Of America was born in The United States Of America," actress Alyssa Milano tweeted Wednesday, right after announcing she'd be on Capitol Hill for the next few days advocating for arts funding from Congress.

Dennis Miller wanted more, tweeting, "All I'm asking is that now Obama release his lifeguard accreditation card." Sarah Palin, who Tuesday seemed more interested in Libya than anything involving who was or was not born in Kenya, challenged the media "admit it, Trump forced the issue." Kirstie Alley, after surviving elimination from "Dancing With the Stars," seemed to be asleep.