Glitterati Gossip

Lindsay Lohan Will Spend Summer Behind Bars

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

In case you missed it, actress Lindsay Lohan will be spending the majority of the summer behind bars for failing to attend court-ordered alcohol education classes.

Lohan, who broke down in sobs during her court appearance on Tuesday in Los Angeles, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. 

Judge Marsha Revelordered Lohan to surrender to court on July 20.  Judge Revel also declared that Lohan was in violation of her probation on a 2007 DUI arrest for skipping classes.

Lohan's alcohol education program director, Cheryl Marshall, took the stand at the hearing and testified that the actress had failed to attend nine court-ordered classes.  She also testified that Lohan came up with excuses that were "endless and disrespectful," however Lohan said she missed her classes due to missed flights and clothing line promotion. 

Marshall said Lohan also called to excuse herself, claiming her uncle had died and she had to fly to New York - just a week before Lohan flew to Cannes, France in May.

^{photos courtesy: Fame Pictures}

Roman Polanski Granted Bail, But Remains in Jail

A Swiss court has granted filmmaker Roman Polanski's request for bail, but it looks like he'll stay in jail pending a possible appeal against the ruling. 

The development in the case was reported by the BBC, which said bail was set at $4.5 million.

The BBC quoted the Swiss justice ministry as saying it would decide quickly whether to challenge the court's decision to release Polanski on bail.

Polanski, 76, was arrested on September 26 in Zurich in connection with a 1977 child-sex case in Los Angeles.

Polanski, who lives in France but was in Switzerland to attend a film festival, has not traveled to the United States since he pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles court to having unlawful sex with a minor and then fled the country before he could be sentenced.

He was accused of drugging and having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski's lawyers have alleged misconduct on the part of the Los Angeles criminal justice system at the time of the plea deal, and are fighting extradition from Switzerland to the United States.

Cindy Crawford Extortion Attempt For Bondage Photo of Daughter

A German man has been charged with attempting to extort $100,000 dollars from supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber over a photo showing the couple's daughter gagged and bound to a chair, federal prosecutors said.

The US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said 26-year-old Edis Kayalar - who was recently deported to Germany - threatened to distribute the photograph to the media unless Crawford and her husband gave him the money.

According to court documents, the photo was apparently taken by the couple's former nanny and shows the girl, who was seven at the time the photo was taken, tied to a chair wearing shorts and a T-shirt.  The girl told her parents, who were unaware of the photo, that the nanny had taken the picture as part of a "cops and robbers" game, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

Officials say Kayalar, who is a friend of the nanny, took possession of the photo and threatened to release it unless Crawford and Gerber met his demands, however Kayalar initially said he wanted to return the photo because he was a "good person" and didn't want to see it land in the tabloids. 

Gerber later met with Kayalar at a bar, where Kayalar showed him a copy of the photo and said he also took a handwritten note from the nanny's apartment that read, "The baby sitter went crazy and tied everyone up and they need your help! Please."

The nanny said she had taken the photo as a prank and was going to post the photo and the note on the front door of the family's house, according to the affidavit. The nanny never went through with the joke and has since been fired.

Gerber eventually got the photo from Kayalar and paid him $1,000 in cash "for his trouble," the affidavit said, but Kayalar is accused of demanding more money while saying he had another copy of the photo.

Authorities say Crawford and her husband reported the extortion attempt, which soon triggered the FBI investigation.

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office, said US prosecutors were "in contact with German authorities concerning the matter."

Crawford and Gerber have been married since 1998 and have two children.

Travolta Extortion Case Ends in Mistrial

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for John Travolta. 

I once worked for a company that did business with him on a continual basis and I've got to say he really is a very nice guy, in fact, I'd say John is one of the nicest, most honest actors in Hollywood.  He was always very nice to me, took the time to explain things, had a great sense of humor and never seemed to forget where he came from. We would talk about things non Hollywood, like flying, cars, and the best places to eat in St. Louis.  In fact, if you didn't know he was an actor, you'd never guess that he was a member of the Hollywood power club; he just didn't wear the status on his sleeve like so many actors and celebrities do.  John Travolta is simply a nice guy who happens to act for a living, which is why I was heartbroken when I learned about the passing of his son, Jett.

To add more grief to an already sad situation, a Bahamian judge declared a mistrial on Wednesday in the extortion case, which involved former Bahamian Senator Pleasant Bridgewater and ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne, the defendants in the trial.  The two pleaded innocent to charges that they told a rep for Travolta of their intentions to leak sensitive documents to the media if Travolta did not pay them $25 million.

The documents pertained to the transportation of Travolta's son Jett, 16, who ultimately died after suffering a seizure at the family's vacation home.

The jury hearing the case began deliberations Wednesday after closing arguments in the month-long trial wrapped up in the morning, however Senior Justice Anita Allen said she declared a mistrial because she suspected juror misconduct.

The decision came after a local politician announced one of the defendants had been acquitted even before the jurors returned their verdict.

Travolta's lawyer, Michael Ossi, said Travolta will continue to fully cooperate and will testify again if necessary. 

No word yet on when the case will be retried.

Randy and Evi Quaid: No Show for Court

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, didn't show up Monday at their arraignment on burglary and other charges in Santa Barbara, California. 

The couple were arrested last month in Texas and charged with burglary, conspiracy and defrauding an innkeeper after they allegedly ran up a bill at California's San Ysidro Ranch and then left without paying.

They reportedly paid the hotel about $5,000 shortly after the warrant was issued for their arrests and then squared the balance after their arrest.

Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office spokesman Lee Carter said the couple didn't appear for their hearing, and so the warrant in California remains outstanding.  The District Attorney's Office will start preparing the extradition (from Texas) paperwork.

E! News said the couple, who reportedly have a home in Texas, hired a new attorney, who has requested the arraignment be rescheduled for next Monday.  

Susan Atkins Denied Parole

Susan Atkins, the terminally ill follower of Charles Manson, who admitted she stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death 40 years ago, has lost what is probably her final bid for freedom. 

On Wednesday, Atkins - who suffers from brain cancer - slept through most of the four-hour hearing during which her husband, who is an attorney, pleaded for her release, while family members of victims of the Sharon Tate-Labianca murders, urged that she be kept behind bars until she dies.

Debra Tate, sister of  slain actress Sharon Tate, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant when she was brutally murdered, told the parole commissioners that she would have a 40-year-old nephew if her sister had lived.

Parole commissioner Tim O'Hare said that he and the other commissioner who presided over the hearing, Jan Enloe, based their decision heavily on the "atrocious nature" of the 1969 killings and said that Atkins never fully understood the magnitude of her crimes.

Atkins, 61, had been expected to die of brain cancer over a year ago but continues to cling to life. She also had a leg amputated.

She was denied compassionate release in July 2008 after she was diagnosed and given only months to live. Wednesday's hearing at the Central California Women's Facility at Chowchilla was her regular parole hearing as a life prisoner. She stands convicted of the seven Tate-LaBianca murders, one of the most notorious mass murders in California history.

Atkins admitted stabbing Tate to death as the actress begged for her life and that of her unborn son.  

Related:

Lynette Squeaky Fromme Paroled