Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Once Upon a Time in Mexico star Johnny Depp has topped People magazine's coveted Sexiest Man Alive list. The title was claimed by Ben Affleck a year ago. Others in the new People hot hunks list include Nelly, LL Cool J, Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, George Clooney, Nick Lachey and tennis ace Andy Roddick.

Michael Jackson has surrendered to Santa Barbara County, California, police to face possible charges of child molestation. The pop superstar flew home to California yesterday morning on a Gulf Stream jet from Las Vegas with new defense lawyer Mark Gerragos - and arrived in Santa Barbara at 11.48am local time. Jackson, who has surrendered his passport to the authorities, posted $3 million bail and then left police custody. The pop superstar's family reportedly boarded a second plane in Las Vegas to be with the singer as he fights another scandal. An arrest warrant was issued for Jackson on Wednesday after police launched a 15-hour investigation into new child molestation charges by raiding his Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California, on Tuesday.

Legendary record producer Phil Spector has been charged with murder following the February 3 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California, home. Spector's $1 million bail was extended a second time earlier this month, while the Los Angeles District Attorney's office considered whether or not to charge him. Spector, 62, has repeatedly denied he killed Clarkson, suggesting in a recent interview in Esquire magazine that she may have shot herself.

Paris Hilton has scrapped a scheduled appearance on America's The Late Show With David Letterman - because she doesn't want to talk about the scandalous sex video in which she appears. The hotel heiress was set to appear on David Letterman's nightly show next week but her new publicist Dan Klores has reportedly advised her not to go ahead with the chat. Klores' aides claim Hilton will not be doing any press for her upcoming reality TV show The Simple Life.

An angry waitress has accused Russell Crowe of launching a foul-mouthed attack on her after she offered him a snack. Vanessa Boni was working at a London party to celebrate the release of the Australian actor's new movie Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World when she approached him with a tray of salmon nibbles. But the temperamental star, who was chatting to singer Sting and his wife Trudie Styler when the alleged incident occurred, reacted furiously to the 20- year-old servant - much to the shock of his celebrity pals. She says, "I was in a special VIP room and offered him a snack. But he said to me, 'F*** off, with your f***ing salmon.' I was completely and utterly shocked and just walked away. Sting and Trudie also looked shocked. I refused to serve him for the rest of the night and made a formal complaint. There was no evidence he was drunk - it was early in the evening. It was just outrageous."

Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman has reignited speculation she's poised to marry singer Lenny Kravitz - by sporting a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger. The Moulin Rouge star - who's reportedly been dating the rocker since the summer - wore her new accessory at a recent awards ceremony in Hollywood. And Hollywood columnist Ted Casablanca - who chatted to Kidman at the glitzy bash - is convinced the ring was a present, because it wasn't the right size. He says, "It appeared to be a recent gift, as it didn't quite fit."

John Rutter tried to sell topless photos of actress Cameron Diaz back to her for $3.3 million, the Los Angeles Superior Court has heard. The Charlie's Angels beauty posed for the series of risque photos two years before she shot to fame in the 1992 Jim Carrey film The Mask, but - according to Diaz - she never signed a release form for the pictures. The court held a preliminary hearing on Wednesday and was told photographer Rutter - who stands accused of forging the star's signature on the release forms - had approached a European agency who were prepared to hand over $5 million in exchange for the 20 snaps, which Diaz contests he had no legal right to sell. According to Detective Brian Bennett of the Los Angeles District Attorney's office Diaz was worried the publication of the pictures could damage her chance at winning roles in family films, such as upcoming sequel Shrek 2. Mr. Rutter is charged with attempted extortion, attempted theft, perjury and forgery. The case continues.

Almost Famous actor Billy Crudup has left his pregnant partner Mary-Louise Parker to begin a romance with long-term pal Claire Danes, according to reports in his native America. Crudup - who has known the Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines actress for years - has been with Parker for seven years and she is currently in the late stages of pregnancy with their first child. However, according to website Page Six.Com, Crudup, 35, and 24-year-old Danes have become much closer as they work on upcoming movie Compleat Female Stage Beauty, prompting both to leave their long-term loves. Danes has been dating Australian rocker Ben Lee for many years and their relationship was thought to be one of the strongest celebrity pairings. But a source tells the website, "They (Crudup and Danes) have been friends for years. They share the same agent and know each other from the New York scene, but they never got romantically involved until they starred in this last movie together." Another adds, "Claire left Ben Lee, and she and Billy say they are now in love. Everyone is appalled with Billy and what he has done to Mary Louise."

Susan Sarandon fears she let friends and family down at this year's Oscar ceremony by refusing to make a strong anti-war statement. The actress and partner Tim Robbins were both blasted for waving the peace sign at cameras as they arrived at the star-studded bash, but Sarandon insists it wasn't enough. The movie star, who enraged Academy bosses in 1993 by using her presenting role to speak out about Hiv-infected Haitian refugees who were being detained by the American government, now wishes she had been more vocal at this year's ceremony. She says, "I feel that I failed at the Oscars this year - the ceremony was so discouraging. I had all these different peace buttons, but people were terrified of wearing them. One person, who shall remain nameless, said, 'It doesn't really go with my necklace.' I just kept thinking, 'I've been so outspoken at marches and on TV, what am I going to say that's new?' A lot of people expected me to do something outrageous."

Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney will reportedly play TV private investigator Magnum PI in a big screen version of the 80s hit show. Pals of the actor say Clooney is desperate to take on the role made famous on the small screen by Tom Selleck between 1980 and 1988. They claim the mustachioed Magnum completes a "holy trinity" of roles Clooney has secretly coveted; "He's wanted to play three characters since he started acting - Danny Ocean in Ocean's Eleven, Hannibal in the A-Team and Magnum. He's had the A-Team movie in the works for a while now, so he's been chasing this one really hard." Hollywood sources say the film, which will begin shooting next year, will feature the brand new $800,000 Ferrari Enzo sports car in place of Magnum's classic Ferrari 308 Gts. But the identities of who will play Magnum's side-kicks Theodore 'TC' Calvin, Orville 'Rick' Wright and Jonathan Quayle Higgins III - played by Roger E Mosley, Larry Manetti and John Hillerman in the TV original - are being kept top secret. Manetti recently slammed plans to recreate the show without its original cast as "an outrage".