[Afrochic]

4-1-1 ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 3RD, 2003

Last week was not a good one for singer Lionel Richie. Lionel's second wife, Diane, has filed for divorce. Diane has reportedly taken up with a plastic surgeon from Argentina. Lionel and Diane were married for seven years and they have two children ages 9 and 5. Diane cited "irreconcilable differences" in her divorce papers. Sources say the marriage has been on the rocks for a while as Lionel struggles to get his career back on track. He has not had a hit in years. Back in the 80's Lionel could do no wrong. He had the magic touch with the hit songs and awards. Lionel was on top of the world and then he made headlines when it was revealed he was cheating on his first wife, his childhood sweetheart, Brenda Richie. Lionel had started having an affair with Diane and Brenda found out about. Brenda beat up Lionel and Diane, and the beat down made headlines around the world. Lionel soon divorced Brenda and married Diane. Lionel and Diane are now going to battle it out over his fortune and a $40 million Beverly Hills mansion. Lionel has also been dealing with his troubled older daughter. Nicole Richie was busted for heroin possession earlier this year and she has been ordered to go into rehab. Next month, you can check out Nicole on the Fox reality series, Real Life. The show is about rich girls who are forced to live on a farm. The show was shot before she was sentenced. Nicole is the adopted daughter of Lionel and his first wife, Brenda. Nicole is a hard partying girl who is known as a wild child on the party circuit.

Think you know everything about Whitney Houston? Well get ready for a new unauthorized biography on Whitney...her transition from "Pop Princess" to "Pothead." The book talks about her close relationship with former top aide, Robyn Crawford. Were Whitney and Robyn lovers? James Robert Parish wrote the book and he says Whitney's public persona was just a creation by mentor, Clive Davis. He says she was not the sweet innocent prom girl he created and that the truth came out when she married Bobby Brown. In the book he compares Whitney to another substance-abused diva, the late Judy Garland. Parish says he thinks Whitney will make a comeback and reclaim her career. Whitney will be releasing a holiday album next month. One of the cuts includes a duet she does with her daughter, Bobbi Christina. The song is a remake of "The Little Drummer Boy."

The latest issue of Playboy Magazine talks about the murder of Jam Master J. Jam Master Jay, of the rap group Run DMC, died in a shooting a year ago and his killer has not been caught. The Playboy article claims Jay was murdered in a drug deal gone bad. They claim Jay was involved in arranging drug deals and he owed his supplier money. According to the article when Jay couldn't come up with $200,000, he was murdered. Jay's family has denied this claim and they have hired a private detective to solve the case.

Rock icon David Bowie and his wife, supermodel Iman, have been named the new spokespeople for Tommy Hilfiger Fashions.

So how close are Nicole Kidman and rocker Lenny Kravitz? The newly engaged couple is close to buying a $21 million, five story, 21-room New York townhouse. Nicole is currently starring in the movie The Human Stain with Sir Anthony Hopkins'.

Director Spike Lee is having problems on the set of his new movie, She Loves Me. Spikes wants to work with certain actors, but they don't want to work with him. Rosario Dawson starred in two of Spike's movies He Got Game and The 25th Hour, but she opted to do an Oliver Stone movie instead. Spike was furious because he helped to put her on the map. Tony Award winning actor Jeffrey Wright also dropped out of the movie after clashing with Spike. Rapper/actor Mos Def also pulled out of the movie. Could it be Spikes attitude?

There will be no Jinx for Halle Berry. Halle was supposed to star in the James Bond inspired movie based on her popular character in the Bond movie Die Another Day, but producers decided to shelve the project.

Mariah Carey is now being managed by Benny Medina. Benny is the media mogul who made Jennifer Lopez a star, and now he is gearing up to take Mariah Carey to another level. The first thing he had Mariah do was ditch her plans to write a tell-all biography. Benny told her she has more living to do before she decides to do that. Benny was able to get movie deals, clothing lines and numerous endorsements for J-Lo. Can he do the same for Mariah? Mariah's got the voice but at times she comes across like a nutcase.