Amanda Bynes: Jewelry Junkie

As the classic song goes, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” And yesterday Amanda Bynes was out and about, looking for some jewelry on Bedford Avenue in Beverly Hills.

The “She’s the Man” actress looked stylish in a mini polka dot dress, sandals, shades, and a swanky Gucci handbag as she smiled for the paparazzi.

As for her potential role in the sequel “Hairspray 2,” it sounds like one very important cast member has elected not to reprise his role - John Travolta.

The “Pulp Fiction” actor recently told press, “I think once is enough. I did it and I did it well but I’m not a big sequel guy.” Hence, it looks like the film’s producers are on the prowl for someone else to don the fat suit and dress this next time around.

Nicole Richie and Harlow Madden: Pumpkin Patch Pals

As the Halloween holiday draws closer and closer, our favorite celebrities are getting into the spirit of the season. And yesterday Nicole Richie was spotted taking daughter Harlow Winter out for some pumpkin fun.

The “Simple Life” hottie and her adorable little girl were spotted playing around at the Pumpkin Patch while dad Joel Madden was reportedly doing his best to pick out some holiday gourds for their home.

And according to press, little Harlow may be getting a brother or sister in the not-too-distant future if Nicole gets her way.

A source revealed, “Nicole is seriously looking into it and asking a lot of questions about adopting. Nicole has been visiting Beyond Shelter in Los Angeles two or three times a week and spends a couple of hours with homeless children. She loves being around them.”

Oprah Winfrey Sued for $180 Million

Media Mogul Oprah Winfrey is being sued by a Louisiana man for $180 million, after claims the popular talk show host gave false statements to the FBI, which led to his being arrested in 2006.

Keifer Bonvillain says that he was wrongfully accused of attempting to extort Winfrey. Bonvillain was arrested that December at his home in Houma, after allegedly recording a phone conversation with one of Winfrey’s production company employees and saying he wanted to publish a book using the information from the recorded material, as reported by Vibe.com.

According to CNN, Bonvillain received tabloid offers that ranged from $500,000 to $3 million. One company eventually agreed to pay Bonvillain $1.5 million, and made arrangements to meet him. At this point, FBI moved in to arrest him.

Because Bonvillain agreed to perform 50 hours of community service, pay $3,000 in restitution, and undergo drug testing, charges were dismissed. He says that his lawsuit against Winfrey is mainly due to "damages."

"There was substantial damage done to my name and reputation on a world level," CNN reports Bonvillain saying via statement. "The extent of my damages is vast."

Kansas City Chiefs Larry Johnson Arrested for Spitting on Woman

Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has been charged with simple assault for spitting his drink in a woman's face.

Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp said Johnson was charged Monday and turned himself in. He was later released after posting a $500 bond.

Snapp said the incident occurred on Oct. 10 at a Kansas City nightclub. The 24-year-old victim reported that Johnson threatened to kill her boyfriend before spitting his drink in her face, reports the Associated Press.

After leaving the bar, she said Johnson tried to spit on her again as he was escorted out.

It is the fourth time in five years that Johnson has been accused of assaulting a woman, and he faces a suspension for violating league rules.

The NFL Network reported Sunday that Johnson will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York on Tuesday.

Terrence Howard Sued $5 Million for Assault

Actor Terrence Howard is being sued by composer Andrew "Tex" Allen who alleges Howard physically attacked him during a Broadway production in New York.

Allen claims in his $5 million lawsuit that the "Iron Man" actor repeatedly punched him in the face during a dispute while the pair were working on a "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" early this year, the New York Post reported Sunday. The jazz pianist is the brother of "Hot Tin Roof" director, Debbie Allen.

The incident allegedly took place on Jan. 24 at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York, when Howard confronted Allen for unreported reasons backstage, the suit alleges.

Both Allen and Howard, who earned an Academy Award Best Actor nomination for the 2005 movie "Hustle & Flow," have both refused to comment on the alleged altercation.

Lyfe Jennings' Ex Files Restraining Order, Details Altercation

R&B star Lyfe Jennings' ex-girlfriend and manager, Joy Bounds, has placed a temporary restraining order on the singer after accusing him of threatening her through phone calls, text messages and also invading her home.

A Fulton County Superior Court judge has approved a request that restricts Jennnings from contacting or coming within 200 yards of Bounds or their two children, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

"Jennings destroyed 90 percent of my clothes, shoes, panties, socks, jackets, etc," she wrote in court documents. "He has told me that if he can't have me, nobody can."

Jennings has been ordered to pay $5,000 a month in child support and to provide her with various pieces of furniture, drapes, a television and other electronics, due to damage done to Bounds property.
Bounds has also alleged the singer would kill her male friend and report a vehicle she drives as stolen.

As previously reported by Livesteez, Jennings, 30, was arrested after firing a gun and leading police on a car chase in Georgia last weekend. Jennings posted $50,000 bond on Monday, October 20 and has since been released.

Both Bounds and Jennings are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, November 6.

Child's Body Found in Missing Chevy Suburban Belonging to Hudson's Brother

A child's body was found in the vehicle police were looking for in their search for 7-year-old Julian King, the missing nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson.

The 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859 was found in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue around 8 a.m. Live TV shots showed a white Chevrolet Suburban being towed away.

The Cook County medical examiner's office has sent investigators to the scene and said the body of a black boy was found inside, an office spokesman said. The child had not been identified, according to ChicagoBreakingNews.com.

A Chicago police spokesman released no information about the discovery but are planning a news conference near where the vehicle was found.

Julian was reported missing and an Amber Alert was issued Friday after his grandmother and uncle were found shot to death inside the family's home in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue.

If the boy is identified as Julian King, it will confirm detectives' worst fears, after law enforcement said bullet casings were found in the boy's room on Friday. However, there was no other evidence of violence found in the room.

Chicago police have interviewed William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of the boy's mother, Julia Hudson. He was initially described by police as a suspect in the investigation.

Balfour has denied involvement in the killings or the disappearance of the boy, law enforcement sources said. But at some point, Balfour stopped talking to authorities, sources told the Tribune.

On Sunday morning, Balfour was transferred to a state facility after officials said he violated conditions of parole for a 1999 conviction for attempted murder. On Sunday, Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour violated his parole because he is a suspect in the slayings and the boy's disappearance.
According to law enforcement sources, Balfour's alibi the day of the killings has been contradicted by his girlfriend. Police searched Balfour's girlfriend's house for several hours Friday night after taking him into custody. Her home is located about 2.5 miles from where the SUV was found this morning.

A family member of the girlfriend's said police have interviewed her. Police also tracked Balfour's whereabouts Friday through his cell phone, sources said.

Balfour and Julia Hudson had been separated for some time, his family members said. A family friend said Balfour recently had threatened to take Julian away.

Police Confirm Body Found in Chevy Suburban as Hudson's Missing Nephew

Chicago police have confirmed that the body of a young boy found Monday morning in an SUV was the missing nephew of Jennifer Hudson
, police Supt. Jody Weis said Monday afternoon.

Authorities found 7-year-old Julian King inside of a white Chevrolet Suburban on Chicago's West Side Monday morning. His body was on the floor in front of the SUV's middle row of seats, covered up with heavy plastic and other items to conceal the body, a police source told NBC Chicago. The boy appeared to have been shot in the back of the head, the source said. An autopsy has been scheduled for today, as reported by Eurweb.com.

King had been missing since Friday, when a cousin who lived nearby found the slain bodies of Hudson's 57-year-old mother Darnell Donerson, and 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson in the home they shared. Their deaths were ruled homicides. The Tribune reports that bullet casings were found in the boy's room on Friday.

The Chicago Police Department issued the following statement before noon Monday: "At approximately 7:06 A.M. a 1994 White Chevrolet Suburban bearing Illinois license plate X584859 and identified in the Amber Alert was located at 1313 S. Kolin. A body was discovered inside the Suburban, in the rear seat of the vehicle."

Police are reviewing surveillance tapes in the neighborhood where the SUV was found.

With the exception of having to identify all three bodies at the Medical Examiner's office, Jennifer Hudson has remained in seclusion in Chicago. According to the AP, all public events that she had scheduled over the next week or so have been canceled, and a planned video shoot for her new single "If It Isn't Love," which was to take place starting Monday in Los Angeles, was also abandoned.

Her label released this statement of support: "On behalf of the RCA Music Group and Arista Records, we send our deepest sympathies and condolences to Jennifer and her family during this difficult time."

Fox Studios, the company behind her latest film "The Secret Life of Bees," issued the following statement on Monday: "Everyone at Fox Searchlight and Twentieth Century Fox wishes to extend our deepest condolences to Jennifer and her family. Our thoughts are with them in this time of profound sadness."

Chicago police are calling the killings "domestic related" and have been questioning William Balfour, who is the estranged husband of Julia Hudson and is being held in state custody on a parole violation. Balfour is not the boy's father and has not been charged in the slayings.

Rapper Common Narrowly Avoids Deadly Shooting

Chicago rapper Common was nearly a witness in a fatal shooting that has left one man dead and four people injured.

The incident occurred yesterday afternoon near the intersection of 704 Fulton Street and South Oxford Street in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY.

According to eyewitness reports, two gunmen opened fire on a 19-year-old man who was waiting at the corner for a friend. The man fled into a nearby hair salon, and was subsequently cornered and killed by the suspects.

In the barrage of 30 shots, four innocent bystanders in the shop were hit including an off duty police officer, reports AllHipHop.com. Witnesses also allege one of the killers fired a deathblow to the head to make sure the victim perished. Afterward, the suspects fled in a blue Chevrolet Tahoe.

Common, a regular of the establishment, had just received a hair cut hours before the murder, stated Dana Jeter, a representative for the star’s record label.

The brazen shooting comes as a shock to new residents of the recently gentrified Fort Greene, but recalls the 1980s and early to mid 1990s when the area was ravaged by drugs, crime, and home to such infamous figures as the original 50 Cent aka Kelvin Martin.

No motive for the crime has been determined, although authorities are certain the victim was a scoped target and stalked before the actual shooting.

At press time, the two gunmen are still at large.