Unlike many of her other Hollywood counterparts, Jennifer Connelly is proud of the nude scenes she's done in past movies. The sunning brunette, currently starring as Russell Crowe's wife in A Beautiful Mind, took things to shocking proportions in the gritty art film Requiem For A Dream. In the movie, Jennifer treats viewers to a full-frontal nude scene and her character becomes a drug-addicted prostitute who performs a naked lesbian show, featuring a sex toy, for a roomful of cheering businessmen. And the screen star is happy with her racy past, explaining, "I don't regret anything. Those were formative experiences. I used to be shy and timid. I was a good kid and I wanted to be one, but it can lead to a reserve that can be a little hampering. It's been a gradual unleashing." The actress, who also bared her breasts and buttocks in Waking The Dead, Inventing The Abbotts and The Hot Spot, recently won a Golden Globe for her role as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind.

The mystery over Russell Crowe's new girlfriend has been solved - he's back together with the "lost love" he first split with 12 years ago. And at Sunday's Golden Globes in Los Angeles, Crowe unveiled the secret woman who's stolen his heart, pretty Danielle Spencer, and even planted a kiss on her lips as he stepped up to claim his Best Actor prize. Crowe had a four-year relationship with Danielle, an Australian soap star and singer, but called an end to the relationship when he left his adopted home country to seek fame in Hollywood. But, having conquered the movie world, Crowe realized the one thing missing from his life was Danielle's love. He threw himself into rekindling their passion and eventually succeeded late last year. He then bought a stunning love-nest in Sydney and Danielle moved in with him in December. Earlier this month, the New Zealand-born star, when asked about his latest relationship in an American interview, responded, "It's somebody I've known for a very long time. And we're just together. It's as simple as that, you know." And the pair certainly have a history together - Danielle appeared alongside Crowe in his first starring role in The Crossing, back in 1990. She also supported Crowe's rock group 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts last summer, and accompanied him to last year's Oscars.

Troubled actress Winona Ryder's woes are increasing - she's been dumped by her boyfriend. Following the humiliation of being accused of shoplifting from Beverly Hills' Saks Fifth Avenue store last month, Winona has now been ditched by her latest love, singer/songwriter Pete Yorn. According to a source quoted in Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "Pete broke up with her at the time of the incident." Winona's trial date on the shoplifting charges has been set for next month.

Troubled Marie Osmond broke down and wept on live TV as she told viewers about her desperately ill mother. Just days after reportedly collapsing in church, the singer suffered another emotional meltdown on the QVC shopping channel as she bared her soul about her mom Olive's condition. While selling her porcelain figurines, Marie revealed how she has been lovingly caring for 76-year-old Olive since she suffered a brain aneurysm recently. The, after beginning to sob uncontrollably, she apologised to viewers saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," as she wiped away the tears. Marie, 42, went on to reveal just how close her mother came to dying after she was rushed to the hospital on November 13th. The star had taken her asthma-stricken son Matthew, two, to the same emergency room where her beloved parent was battling for life. She recalls, I heard over the loudspeakers there was a code blue - where someone had stopped breathing. I later found out that it was my mom." Now Marie, who has been caring for Olive at home, is asking fans on her website, "Please keep my mother in your prayers."

Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen stunned reporters at Sunday's Golden Globe awards - by declaring he and fiancee Denise Richards planned to wed at the show. The star, who won a Best Lead Actor trophy for his role in hit TV sitcom Spin City, made the announcement on the red carpet of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California as he entered the swanky venue. But the reporters' bemusement soon became amusement when they realized Sheen was just joking. After being asked if he would tell the viewing world, live on TV, when he planned to marry his beautiful lover, he responded, "Not only when but where. It's actually here. We're using this whole thing as a front for the wedding. We thought it would be a good cover."

The six stars of Friends are being offered an incredible $1 million-per-episode to keep making the hit TV show. The future of the massively popular sit-com has been in the balance for some time after eight successful seasons - and TV executives are so desperate for a ninth series they've offering their stars a total bumper pay packet, $24 million, to make it. Courteney Cox, Matt Leblanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry have already turned down a previous bid of $800,000-per-show - and workers at production company Warner Brothers believe they may not be swayed by more money. One employee says, "Jennifer and Courteney both want to have children and they haven't decided yet how compatible that is with going ahead with another series. It's a very gruelling schedule because they do lots of rehearsals as well as the 24 episodes. It can be very tiring. Matt LeBlanc is pretty keen to do it, but they all need to sit down and talk it through." A Warner spokesperson says, "Friends remains a series that is important to everyone, most especially the audience. It's our fervent hope the series will continue."

New lovers Harrison Ford and Minnie Driver are struggling to keep their blossoming romance under wraps. Recent reports suggest the British actress has been dating Ford, despite him - at 59 - being 28 years her senior. And the couple have now been spotted in public together for the first time, acting like "lovesick teenagers" during a night out at the trendy Divino restaurant in Los Angeles. A fellow diner says, "They were smooching all the way through. Ford couldn't take the smile off his face, understandably, with a new girlfriend almost half his age." Minnie - who last year broke off her engagement to Josh Brolin - recently confessed to having lusted after Harrison for years, and during a TV interview, she described him as a "dream date".

Hollywood star Matt Damon is desperately trying to give up smoking - in effort to keep up to his health-conscious dad. Matt was spotted sporting a nicotine patch on his arm at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month to help beat his cigarette addiction - and Matt's efforts are all down to his father. He explains, "I just went on vacation with my dad, who doesn't smoke."

Actress Thora Birch is branching out her career into a completely new direction - as a jewellery designer. Birch attended Sunday's Golden Globe awards wearing an elegant necklace which she designed herself. But the 19-year-old starlet didn't design the accessory simply for her own amusement - she's hoping to use her skills to raise money for charity. She says, "This is the first time I've ever designed a piece of jewellery. It's for the Platinum Guild Women With Hearts and I designed it for a charity of my choice, which is Best Buddies. It's going to be auctioned off on February 12. I'm like a walking advertisement for it!"

Nicole Kidman is so ecstatic about her many recent movie successes that she's confident she'll never have another year so good. Redhead Kidman was nominated for two Golden Globe awards for roles in The Others and Moulin Rouge and ultimately won the latter at Sunday's ceremony. She has also won rave reviews of both performances from critics around the world. But the Kidman, who flew in to California from Sweden - where's making the new movie Dogville - for the awards, is certain the phenomenal success will not last for much longer. She says, "I don't think I'll have a year like this again. I never expected this and it's once in a lifetime. I'm just trying to smell the roses and keep aware of how special this time is."