Lionel Richie says he "doesn't know" if his daughter, Nicole Richie, is pregnant. Obviously, he doesn't read this or any other celebrity gossip site.

After all, it's pretty well confirmed that Nicole is pregnant.

Nonetheless, Lionel Richie poked fun at himself for being an out-of-touch father of late, pleading to People, "Nicole, baby, call me!"

The pop legend was serious, though, in discussing how his life might change if his daughter is pregnant - and she definitely is.

"Grandpa, man, that's wild," Lionel Richie said at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on Saturday. "I don't know if I'm going to be grandpa. I don't know if I'm ready to be called grandpa."

Lionel, you can drop the "if," man. Sure as summer days are long and Paris Hilton's pussy seems to pop up in many celebrity photo galleries, your daughter's got a bun in the oven.

As for his daughter's fame, Lionel says that Nicole Richie is "living her life under a microscope, but it's the kind of life you live at that age."

Richie also told a group of reporters he believes Nicole is fabulous.

"She keeps apologizing [about being in the news so much], I tell you, she's doing exactly what you're supposed to do... she's living her life. If we had cell phones, MySpace, Internet back then, God knows what my parents would have known about The Commodores."

Lionel Richie, looking fit in blue jeans and a white dress shirt, played several of his hits from Commodores era at the Superdome on the final day of the Essence Music Festival.

The festival returned to New Orleans this year after a one-year move to Houston while the Katrina-damaged Superdome was being repaired.

"There comes a time in your career when people tell you that you've made it, and that's what I feel has happened to me," Richie said. "I just feel completely honored to apply these songs to be part of helping New Orleans recover, and I'm humbled by how this city has embraced me."

Saturday's concert for the city of New Orleans also featured Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Ne-Yo and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

"That, what you heard tonight, was pure foundation. I'm just sorry I didn't have my platform shoes and Afro," Lionel Richie said.

Lionel Richie says his immediate plans are to work on an album with Ne-Yo and go on tour in Europe and Australia.

Rowland, who performed snippets of several songs for about 20 minuets as the first act on Saturday, was also ecstatic to be in the Big Easy as a solo artist.

Said Kelly Rowland: "When I was four, I told my momma, 'I want to sing on stage like Whitney Houston with a red dress on.'"

Pete Ellis is a wrestling columnist for TheWrestlingPost.com. He recently ran the following piece on the life and death of Chris Benoit...

A lot of things have been said since the untimely demise of Chris Benoit and his family a few weeks ago.

Many of his fans have journeyed to Atlanta to leave flowers at the gate of his large suburban home. Others consider the events the act of a madman or a drug addict who deserves to be condemned for his actions.

The WWE has all but washed its hands of Benoit and his legacy since the day after the initial announcement of his death. WWE.com went from a Benoit memorial to "MOVING RIGHT ALONG! NOTHING TO SEE HERE!" overnight.

But for whatever it's worth - for the public, for the media, and for wrestling fans everywhere - I will never forget Chris Benoit. In my opinion, he stands as the greatest in-ring performer in the history of wrestling. I will not forget his accomplishments or what he meant to me as a fan.

William Regal said it best the Monday his death was announced. Regal didn't gush about his passing or speculate as to any of the details. He simply said Benoit was the best ever, and he was right.

To read the rest of this take on Benoit, follow our link...

For all of those fearing that Hyde has jumped the proverbial shark, well, this isn't about to dispel that theory.

The man best known as Danny Tanner partied it up in L.A. Sunday. Yes, Bob Saget was the biggest celeb at Hyde, according to TMZ's club spies.

At least the Olsen Twins are old enough to get sloshed with him now.

Meanwhile, underage hottie Hayden Panettiere was spotted outside her home after visiting Nickelodeon Studios to support her little brother, Jansen Panettiere, in his new TV movie, Last Day of Summer.

Only 42 more days until she's legal. Just saying.

Back east, Akon and Samantha Cole were spotted rocking out to Amy Winehouse tunes in the Hamptons at the pleasure palace Star Room.

Fortunately, Akon did not smack that (well, at least not in public). We're sure he tried his best to throw someone off stage. Danah Allyene was probably mad jealous.

While Akon looked on, lyricist extraordinaire L'il Jon entered the scene and entertained the crowd from the DJ booth, taking over the beats.

We can only imagine, having heard his collaborations with Usher about 10 million times, that this involved a lot of L'il Jon screaming "Okaaaaay" and "Yeahhh!"

Meanwhile, back in the city, she of the large booty, Kim Kardashian and himbo Wilmer Valderrama rocked the Estrada Entertainment party at Home.

Hey, when you're no longer with Mandy Moore, you might as well move on to an inferior model. That guy's bedpost must be enormous to accommodate all those notches.

A tremendous con-artist.

A notorious fraud.

A pathological liar and thief.

A man with outstanding warrants for his arrest, who has faced deportation as well as myriad financial problems.

Simon Monjack, a.k.a. Con-Jack, has been accused of all this and more by our readers since he secretly wed actress Brittany Murphy in May.

But for all the rumors floating around about Simon Monjack, we've never gotten a first-hand account of his shady, irrational and sick behavior. That is, until today.

An ex-girlfriend of Simon Monjack tells The Hollywood Gossip exclusively - and on the condition of anonymity - some of the highlights (lowlights) of their relationship.

She hopes that the list of some of his actions "helps in setting the record straight... [Simon Monjack] is a nasty man and definitely not someone I would ever want to encounter again."

In an interview with The Hollywood Gossip, our source listed a few of the things Simon Monjack did and said in the two years she dated him.

• He told me he owned the airline Air Jamaica and it was used primarily for drug and gun running
• He told me he'd murdered someone in N.Y., and that's how he's linked to the DEA
• He told me one of his daughters (illegitimate - by a French ambassador's wife - Veronique) was killed in a road accident in 1996. His mother confessed that this was a lie.
• He robbed various people in the UK under a company he exploited called 'Support British Film'
• He told me he was constantly tracked by the Customs & Excise in England - apparently he would tip them off about gun/drug smuggling on his aircraft and Air India.
• This is perhaps the funniest. He told me he had a homosexual affair with Damian Hirst when they lived in N.Y. (Broom Street). When they broke up, Damian gave him a picture entitled "I Feel Fine." Simon's ex-wife, Marcia, had damaged the picture, so Simon repaired it with glue (!?)
• He was frequently calling sex lines in Gambia.
• Prior to moving to the US in 1996 he stole gold and diamond jewellery (and my engagement ring) from his grandmother and pawned it on Bond Street.
• He assured a young L.A. film producer (John) that he could distribute his film (Simon was working for another fraudster - Harry Bloom?) but, in fact, took the guy's reels and stored them in his office
• He told various neighbours and rental agents that we'd been married in Vegas so he was tight with cash and couldn't pay rent.
• I can't begin to tell you how many cheques he's bounced.

And so it continues for Simon Monjack. Will Brittany Murphy see the light, or will she remain oblivious? Will Monjack's troubles with the law catch up with him in time? Stay tuned.

The Criss Angel spat with his soon-to-be ex is getting uglier than the image of a pregnant, 85-pound Nicole Richie.

A week after Cameron Diaz denied playing a role in Angel's marital problems, the illusionist himself has spoken out.

In a statement released Sunday, Angel said, "It is with great sadness and disappointment that I feel the need to dignify and refute the inaccuracies, blatant lies and misrepresentations that my estranged wife and her attorney made last week in a New York courtroom and continue to make in the press."

The pieces of celebrity gossip these two have leaked include allegations of adultery, a marriage kept secret, and lack of financial support.

But Angel countered: "I have always supported [JoAnn Sarantakos'] every expense in the past prior to her filing for divorce in May of 2006 and continue to do so to this day."

As for claims that the couple's marriage was secret, Criss says this simply wasn't true. Just because he didn't call Hollywood news reporters to follow the couple around, like Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag do, doesn't mean those close to him weren't aware of the union.

"Our marriage was well known to my friends and all of my fans worldwide. She was featured prominently in the first two seasons of my show. She and her family were thanked and credited in every episode and in my recent autobiography."

Finally, the reality TV star defends Diaz and scoffs at any accusations levied against her: "The fact that they have tried to use Cameron Diaz to accomplish their ends is a sign of their desperation...Cameron and I met in May of this year at the VH1 Rock Honors show, over a year after JoAnn's initial filing...

Cameron is a good friend and an amazing person and to defame her and myself and paint her as the reason for my marriage's demise is factually inaccurate, ridiculous and just plain wrong."

Sounds like a reasonable retort on Angel's behalf to us. Someday, Tameka Foster may lash out against her critics the same way. Be warned.

Allow us to clarify the headline above: Pretty much everyone has seen Pamela Anderson nude.

It ain't exactly celebrity news that David Spade would be included in this camp... except for the fact that we're referring to the current hot rumor that this unfunny actor has seen Pamela Anderson nude, one-on-one, alone, in bed.

Lauren Conrad getting back together with Jason Wahler almost seems more expected than this pairing, doesn't it?

For whatever reason, cute blondes with big breasts are attracted to the former Saturday Night Live star. He was previously rumored to be dating Heather Locklear.

This time, TMZ caught up with Spade in Vegas over the weekend, getting kissed by Anderson and playing with her clothing. The pair showed up together to JET nightclub at the Mirage and drank champagne and Red Bull vodkas together throughout the night.

As far as celebrity pictures go, you don't get much crazier than David Spade making out with Pamela Anderson.

For all we know, they then called Katie Rees and retired as a threesome to a hotel room upstairs.

Heck, earlier in the day, Spade chilled in a daybed at BARE topless pool next to Sophia Bush, who was in town celebrating her 25th birthday. How does the anti-stud do it???

It's a good thing for Tony Parker he just made it official with Eva Longoria. Otherwise, Spade would be sure to swoop in and work his mysterious mojo on the actress.

Our apologies to all fans who momentarily thought they could get a look at Britney Spears nude here today. Not gonna happen, sadly.

However, we offer you the next best thing. Britney and her no-neck mystery man frolicking in the pool at her Malibu estate with her two sons!

PHOTO CREDIT: TMZ / Flynet

Here, the naked Jayden James Federline is being handed off by the alleged man, who may be a bodyguard, chauffeur or boyfriend, or any or all of the above.

Meanwhile, Sean Preston Federline patiently waits his turn. What a l'il pimp! He doesn't need to cry or be passed around or wear pants. Pants are for suckaz.

It's either hard to find swimsuits for kids in L.A., or they've been reading too much about their nudity-loving mother in various online celebrity news publications.

Is Britney Spears dating this man? We have no frickin' idea. What is his name? No clue on that, either. Help us out if you can. But we can tell you two things:

1. Amy Winehouse wears that hairstyle better. And can sing.
2. Sean Preston and Jayden James' estranged grandma, Lynne Spears, was nowhere to be found.

Amy Polumbo, the blackmailed beauty queen being terrorized by an anonymous nemesis, says the pics in question don't show her drinking underage, nor are they nude photos, nor do they show anything that would disgrace her.

None of that explains why, as Matt Lauer inquired this morning on Today, why she won't just release the photos and rid herself of the blackmail?

Amy Polumbo didn't know quite what to say to that, but characterized the snaps as "normal college girl" stuff and dismissed their salaciousness.

Does that mean dressing up for Halloween parties? Girl on girl action? Anything different than we see in our gallery of celebrity photos on a daily basis?

We have absolutely no idea.

Meanwhile, her mom tells the New York Daily News that the rumors about her boozing underage are "lies," but says Polumbo will discuss the pics with Miss America officials.

Claims that a blackmailer has sent Miss New Jersey nude photos showing raunchy behavior and drinking underage are "nothing but lies," the beauty queen's outraged mom said.

After making the rounds on the morning interview shows, Amy Polumbo plans will meet with the New Jersey Chapter of the Miss America Pageant Thursday to discuss whether or not the pictures show her committing any unseemly behavior.

Anthony Caruso, the lawyer for Amy Polumbo, said Saturday the 22-year-old had received a second threatening package from a blackmailer.

Neither would disclose what the threat entailed exactly, but they said the photos show no nudity, drug use, drinking or other behavior that could cost Polumbo her crown.

Borrring. Show us the pics! We've seen Katie Rees go wild and heard about Tara Conner and Katie Blair making out. With each other! Come on. Inquiring minds want to know!

Amy Polumbo's mother, Jennifer Wagner, vehemently denies the New York Post story suggesting her daughter had been "caught" with her boyfriend while still a teenager.

"No, no! There was no underage drinking [in the photo]," Wagner said. "The New York Post lied. They printed nothing but lies."

Suuuure thing. Just like they "lied" about the whole Joslyn Noel Morse - Alex Rodriguez - Cynthia Rodriguez "Stray-Rod" scandal. These people are just doing their jobs!

Ronica Liccia, who's first in line to take over the tiara of Amy Polumbo, should she be stripped (ooh), denied any involvement in the scandal.

She and other runners-up said they hadn't been interviewed. But Samantha Hahn, 22, said she'd be more than willing to talk to cops, "especially if it helps Amy and her family."

The original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, gives a very candid and hilarious interview in the August 2007 issue of Blender.

In it, she speaks on how infrequently she kisses (let's just say this is no Katie Rees) - and how much she wishes she had never swapped spit with David Hodges:

On what she does in her free time: "You know, I never go out. If I'm in L.A., I'm usually at my house playing Guitar Hero."

On her lying music label, BMG: "Everyone keeps saying how hard this record because be because of all the crap surrounding it, but that last one was really hard to make. I literally got told to my face that it wouldn't sell more than 600,000 copies. And I got lied to. One reason I don't like working with people at the label is that they like. They told me, ‘We really want you to got Sweden. These people really want to write with you.'

So I flew to Sweden with lyrics I'd written to this track I'd been send, ‘Since U Been Gone.' I get there, and the writers are like, ‘Oh, we already have lyrics. We just want you to sing it.' It was really awkward. It was mean. That's why there's no relationship with them. Because I don't like to be lied to.

On ex-boyfriend David Hodges, former Evanescence keyboardist: "I didn't even really like the guy. I'm more mad at myself for being so blind. Why would I pick someone like him to date? What's wrong with me? … It's fine in the end. Maybe I had to go through that and learn more about myself. Maybe that's why I don't date much, either."

* The Hollywood Gossip note: One of these days, Brittany Murphy will have similar revelations about Simon Monjack. She just has to.

Kelly Clarkson and David Hodges are no longer dating. It's definitely his loss.

On how many boys she's made out with: "Four? No, wait. Oh my God, five! I have major trust issues. [laughs] I just don't make out with people. That's a waste of my kisses and time. And it's so personal. It's like, my face. Plus, I'm afraid of mouth herpes."

* The Hollywood Gossip note: We hope Britney Spears' new mystery man is paying close attention. Be careful, dude.

On her face-to-face meeting with music exec Clive Davis: "It was nice. IT was just the two of us, and his dog. I was like, I don't know you very well, and I am not a bulls******. I get you don't like the album. You're 80; you're not supposed to like my album. I said, ‘Clive, I'm going to make tons of albums. It doesn't have to be mainstream every time. Then he kept bringing up people he's worked with. ‘You're a Whitney! You're a [Mariah Carey]!' ‘First of all, Mariah writes a lot of her stuff. Secondly, I dont' want a career like either of those singers. That's why it's hard for us to make an album. You don't know me! You don't know what I like, and you don't know what my fans like."

The Hollywood Gossip staff loves Kelly Clarkson. Talk about keeping it real! Between her honestly and the almost nude Katharine McPhee pictures in Stuff magazine, it's been a solid week of celebrity gossip in the Idol world.

As contestants from American Idol took the stage once more in Florida last night, The Palm Beach Post had a review of a few of the performers�

Melinda Doolittle: I was worried in the beginning that Mindy Doo was holding back too much, allowing herself to be overshadowed by other singers, especially LaKisha. But the second half of the show was a large improvement, and featured a �Natural Woman� that politely walks Kelly Clarkson�s version to the woods and leaves it there without breadcrumbs. (I love Kelly. But you had to see it.) And she looked HOT.

Jordin Sparks: One of my fellow reporters noted that, late into the second half, winner Jordin seemed to be a footnote in her own victory. Everybody else seemed to have a lot more stage time. But that was before the last 20 minutes, which became the Jordin Show. She has such a stage presence when seen live. and delivered a solid, incredibly effortless �I Who Have Nothing,� a pretty good �Broken Wing� and a version of snore-happy winning single �This Is My Now� that at least kept you awake.

The kid is pretty good at the guitar, too. I will say that the choice of that icky treacle as the single shows how much the producers wanted her to win, because it wasn�t anywhere near Blake Lewis� strength. Yes, it�s a conspiracy theory. Talk amongst yourselves.

Blake Lewis: Speaking of my beloved beat box, he kept proving how well he sings, and not just how well he can turn his body into a stripey-haired percussion instrument. His take on Jamiroquai�s �Virtual Insanity?� Priceless. He took up a lot of stage time, by the way, seeming to be in on so many people�s segments. His buddy�

Chris Richardson: also got a heck of a lot of spotlight shone on his little buzz-cut noggin. He was the lyrical oomph to Blake�s beat-box on �Geek In The Pink,� which was competent on TV but flowed nearly perfectly on stage. He avoided a lot of the nasalness that Simon Cowell was always after him for. Nasal is a style of singing, like Chris told Simon. Just not one that works as well as what he did on stage.

Sanjaya Malakar: As his mom told me later �He can sing!� I didn�t care for some of his Michael Jackson-esque choreography on �The Way You Make Me Feel,� but he sounded great, moving around in front of a screen showing some of his greatest hair hits. One thing - why no faux-hawk? And he plays a mean tambourine.

Chris Sligh: This guy is the one that most shocked the biscuits out of me, because while the show proved that he has a solid voice, nothing hinted at its richness on stage, its range, or how confident and even sexy he becomes when behind a guitar. His version of Mute Math�s �Typical� was fascinating, because with him playing, his voice sounded more edgy and rock-like. Drat. We didn�t see half of what he could do on the show. We wuz robbed.

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