Jessica Simpson wants to settle with Lachey

Jessica Simpson, presuming that Nick Lachey would dislike a public legal battle, is offering a paltry $1.5 million as settlement.

The Associated Press reports that in 2004 alone, Simpson earned $30 million.

Under California law, Lachey is entitled to half of what the couple earned during their marriage.

According to TMZ, Joe Simpson has called Lachey, to urge him to take the settlement so the two can "end as friends."

Sources say Lachey "absolutely will not ask for spousal support," even though legally he has a right to press that claim. He also will not accept a settlement that in no way approaches what he would be legally entitled to under the law reports TMZ.

allheadlinenews

Guess the nerd

Denise Richards wants more publicity

Denise Richards will perform at the one-year anniversary of the Pussycat Dolls Lounge in Pure at Caesar's Palace on Friday, June 9.

The celebration will also feature the club's resident DJ, DJ AM. The Dolls have showcased other sexy performers such as Eva Longoria, Nicollette Sheridan and Pamela Anderson.

TMZ

Anna Nicole Smith IS pregnant

Anna Nicole Smith is five months pregnant, sources tell TMZ. And we're told that the former Playboy Playmate is engineering a way to make money off of the announcement.

Today, TMZ contacted Larry Birkhead, rumored to be the father. When asked if Anna Nicole was pregnant and if he was the dad, Birkhead replied: "I'm not going to deny she's pregnant or that I'm the father."

Recently, Birkhead denied Smith was pregnant. When pressed today, he suggested he was pressured into making the denial. "I've been asked in the past by [Anna's attorney] Howard [K] Stern to deny the rumor." Birkhead said he could not comment beyond that.

Howard K. Stern tells TMZ emphatically, "Anna wants that guy completely out of her life and obviously he is having trouble dealing with it." He also said, "You'll be able to find out soon enough [if she's pregnant]," but would not elaborate beyond that.

A source says Stern may be denying the pregnancy rumor because it would take the thunder out of an official announcement from Smith-- an announcement we're told she believes is worth a serious amount of money.

UPDATE 5:45PM ET: Larry Birkhead read Stern's response to TMZ and adds: "I was not going to discuss the matter publicly, but since Howard K. Stern is attempting to bash me... I have been told that I am expecting a child, I have seen the ultrasound and have spoken to doctors. I am very excited about the possibility of becoming a father. Howard needs to get past his own jealousy about the relationship between myself and his only client."

TMZ

The new Mr & Mrs Brady (Adrianne Curry and Christopher Knight)

'Saved by the Bell' Star Sues Enquirer Over Cocaine Story

Lark Voorhies, the actress who played Lisa Turtle in TV's 'Saved by the Bell,' has sued the National Enquirer for allegedly libeling her with accusations she had a cocaine addiction.

In a filing Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Voorhies is asking for unspecified punitive damages as a result of the June 2005 article, which quoted a "friend" of Voorhies' as saying she has a "terrible drug problem" and was "bipolar."

The actress says the allegations are false.

Voorhies says the Enquirer article cost her several acting jobs, invaded her privacy, and caused her "humilation, embarrassment, hurt feelings, mental anguish, and suffering."

A month after the article appeared, Voorhies' doctor, Howard Askins, wrote a letter saying she didn't have a cocaine addiction and wasn't admitted to the hospital for substance abuse.

TMZ

Celebrities: Out & About

Nicole Richie: STILL TOO SKINNY

Ashlee Simpson's new style: Frumpy

Batwoman Is Back As a Lesbian

Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet. DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year.

The 5-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.

"We decided to give her a different point of view," explained Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC. "We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That's one of the reasons we went in this direction."

The original Batwoman was started in 1956, and killed off in 1979. The new character will share the same name as her original alter ego, Kathy Kane. And the new Batwoman arrives with ties to others in the Gotham City world.

"She's a socialite from Gotham high society," DiDio said. "She has some past connection with Bruce Wayne. And she's also had a past love affair with one of our lead characters, Renee Montoya."

Montoya, in the "52" comic book series, is a former police detective. Wayne, of course, is Batman's true identity -- but he has disappeared, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, leaving Gotham a more dangerous place.

The "52" series is a collaboration of four acclaimed writers, with one episode per week for one year. The comics will introduce other diverse characters as the story plays out.

"This is not just about having a gay character," DiDio said. "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."

newsday

Pink on MTV

Mariah Carey named best legs by Gillette Venus

"Sopranos" Actor upset with David Chase

FURIO from "The Sopranos" is furious at the show's creator, David Chase. Federico Castelluccio - who played the ponytailed mobster with unrequited love for Carmela Soprano - tells Steppin' Out magazine's Chaunce Hayden that Chase has become "very arrogant . . . [Chase] couldn't care less about the fans or if the show is well-written. He just throws anything out there and thinks we'll watch because we're addicted . . . I'm very disappointed just like everyone else."

Castelluccio also is upset that Chase has not asked him back on the show since his character returned to Italy. "They promised me I would be coming back this season, but it never happened . . . People tell me how much they enjoyed my character, but [Chase] just tossed me aside without any mention or follow-up as to what happened to me. It's just not right. The fans have a right to know!"

But even if his acting career cools, Castelluccio can always fall back on his art. The accomplished painter has been known to sell his canvases for $15,000 to $20,000, and plans to open a Manhattan gallery.

pagesix

It's a slow news day...Ben Affleck Rushed to E.R. for Migrain

Ben Affleck spent his Memorial Day in the emergency room of a Boston-area hospital.

"Ben Affleck was treated for a migraine at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass., today," said Affleck's rep, Ken Sunshine, in a statement on Monday. "He was released this afternoon, and is recuperating at home."

According to the Boston Herald, Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner, drove him to the hospital at around 2:30 p.m. Affleck was released about two hours later after receiving treatment in the E.R.

people

Celebrities: Out & About

Sofia Coppola Expecting

Sofia Coppola is expecting her first child with boyfriend Thomas Mars.

The director of such acclaimed films as The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation is three months along, Coppola’s rep confirms to Us. The couple announced their pregnancy at the Cannes Film Festival where Coppola’s latest film, Marie Antoinette, premiered last week. Mars is the lead singer of the French band Phoenix, which makes a cameo serenading the French queen in Coppola’s film.

usmagazine

Michelle Rodriguez Only Serves Four Hours in Jail

TMZ has learned Michelle Rodriguez's 60-day DUI jail sentence turned into four hours and 27 minutes behind bars -- a byproduct of overcrowding and budget problems in LA's jails.

The 'Lost' star checked herself into jail last Thursday to begin a 60-day sentence for DUI-related probation violations. At the time, the star said she would serve her time, then flee the country for France.

But a spokesman for the LA city attorney's office said Rodriguez was released after just less than four and a half hours as part of a book and release program typical for non-violent offenders with sentences of less than 90 days. Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the LA County Sheriff's Department, said the early release program was implemented in 2002 "as a last resort" to meet budget cuts that reached $180 million.

Over the weekend, Rodriguez not only was spotted stateside -- but she was back in the celebrity swing of things. On Saturday, Rodriguez was seen at the Ultimate Fighting Championships at the Staples Center, alongside Paris Hilton, David Spade and others.

TMZ

Mira Sorvino welcomes baby boy

It's a boy for Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and her actor-husband, Chris Backus. Sorvino gave birth to the couple's second child, Johnny, on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, Calif. The infant weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

"The baby is healthy and happy, and mother and the rest of the family are very, very excited," Sorvino's representative, Ed Choi, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Sorvino, 38, and Backus, 24, have an 18-month-old daughter, Mattea Angel. The couple were married in 2004.

newsday

Drew Barrymore enjoying lunch with her boyfriend

Hope everyone is having a safe and fun day!

Tori Spelling & hubby back at home

Skinny, skinny Ms Richie

Gallery of the Absurd

galleryoftheabsurd

Yee haw...it's a nice sunny day in California...