The full extent of Daredevil star Jennifer Garner's ailments have been released - she's actually suffering from severe nerve damage. The actress pulled out of promotional work for her new movie Elektra last weekend amid reports she was pregnant with boyfriend Ben Affleck's baby. Her aides insisted she had a viral infection and was trying to recover in time for this Saturday's Elektra premiere in Las Vegas. But now it seems Garner was struck down with a nerve problem resulting from a stunt she performed on the set of her TV show Alias. An insider says, "We all thought she was suffering from a viral infection, but doctors concluded that it was more. Under doctor's orders to take it easy she had to cancel a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live and the film's press junket."

Legendary director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio have been honored with France's most prestigious cultural awards. Goodfellas filmmaker Scorsese was presented with the Legion of Honor at the annual ceremony in Paris on Wednesday. The title is in recognition of his contribution to cinema. DiCaprio, recently Scorsese's collaborator on Gangs Of New York and The Aviator, was named Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters. Presenting Scorsese's honor, French culture minister Renaud Donnedieu De Vabres said, "Dear Martin Scorsese, the combat for the right of creators and cultural diversity brings together all of those who on both sides of the Atlantic and from all continents take it upon themselves to defend the expressions of identity and creation across all cultures." An "extremely, extremely honored" DiCaprio was described by De Vabres as an "icon, little Hollywood prince, bad boy from Los Angeles, modern romantic hero, Peter Pan of American cinema".

Actress Jane Kaczmarek is calling on her celebrity pals to donate their outfits from the Golden Globe Awards for auction to benefit the victims of Asia's December 26 tsunami disaster. The Malcolm In The Middle star and her husband, The West Wing actor Bradley Whitford, are sponsoring a Clothes Off Our Back auction beginning the day after the January 16 ceremony. The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, which collects clothes and accessories from celebrities and designers and auctions them to raise money for children's charities, was started by Kaczmarek and Whitford in 2002. But with the recent devastation in the Indian Ocean, Kaczmarek is now calling on all current and previous Golden Globe nominees and winners to donate clothes and accessories worn to either this year's awards show or previous ones to benefit those affected in the region. The items will be auctioned online.

Movie director Ron Howard is being advised to tread carefully when filming the movie adaptation of novel The Da Vinci Code this year, by not permitting albino stereotypes. The National Organization For Albinism And Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has asked film bosses to make sure the upcoming movie doesn't portray its albino character as a red-eyed psychopath. NOAH president Mike McGowan says, "One huge problem with (author Dan Brown's book) The Da Vinci Code is how (the character of) Silas is described with red eyes. That's a myth. Most often in people with albinism the eyes are light blue or even hazel. Ron Howard can make a big difference for people with albinism by continuing the trend away from a hack device if they adjust the Silas character to not be an evil albino. Over the years the stereotyping and misinformation foisted on the albinism community by film-makers does real harm to real people." Tom Hanks has signed up to star in The Da Vinci Code, which is slated for a mid-2006 release.

Superstar Madonna has laughed off reports she renewed her wedding vows with husband Guy Ritchie after only four years of marriage. British newspaper The Sun claimed the couple exchanged rings in a Kabbalah ceremony on their fourth wedding anniversary on December 22 in their Wiltshire country estate in England. However, Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg tells website The Scoop, "Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie spent their fourth wedding anniversary with 16 close friends at their country home. All these folks were at the wedding but I was not given names. Madonna is working on her documentary film of the tour and Guy is working on his film. Just a normal working class couple. Ha ha." The singer and film-maker married in Skibo Castle near Dornoch, Scotland, in 2000 the day after their son Rocco was christened.

Funk superstar James Brown has been slapped with a lawsuit by a woman who claims he raped her at gunpoint in 1988. The lawsuit, filed by Jacque Hollander on Wednesday, claims the star raped her in the back of his van while threatening her with a shotgun. At the time of the alleged assault, Hollander was an aspiring songwriter working as a public relations assistant for the famed singer. Brown's lawyer Debra Opri has branded the claim false and calls Hollander's allegations "rag sheet fodder". Opri adds that the woman's claims were dismissed as frivolous by a judge in 2002 who also cleared Brown of another woman's sexual harassment allegations. Opri says, "This is what you call a shakedown in its most stupid form. It's too little, too late and baseless." Hollander, 48, is not pressing criminal charges against Brown, 71, but is seeking $106 million in damages because she was recently diagnosed with the neurological disorder Graves' Disease, which she claims was caused by her "rape and torture" at the hands of the singer.

Pop star Jessica Simpson is suing a California jeweler for illegally using her image in ads. The singer-turned-reality TV star insists she never gave bosses of Inspired Silver permission to use her image in internet commercials - and was upset when she saw the ads. A spokeswoman for Simpson says, "Ms. Simpson is concerned about the widespread misappropriation of her name and likeness for use in connection with the unauthorized sale of costume jewelry and other merchandise. Through her attorneys, she is taking steps to remove this unauthorized merchandise from the marketplace. The lawsuit against Inspired Silver is part of an ongoing process in this regard."

Troubled rocker Courtney Love is selling her New York apartment so she can start a new life in California. The former Hole frontwoman faced a string of lawsuits last year and was publicly carried out of her Crosby Street, Manhattan, home in July wearing a camisole and handcuffs, before spending time in hospital for an "unspecified gynecological condition". Love is now desperate to regain custody of her and late husband Kurt Cobain's daughter Frances Bean - who she lost custody of in late 2003 following her arrest for drug and assault charges - and is hoping a fresh start in LA will mean she can put the past few years behind her. Love has listed the 4,100 square foot loft, featuring a wood-burning fireplace, high ceilings and stunning views, with the Corcoran Group real estate company. Corcoran's Wilbur Gonzalez tells American website The Scoop, "It's one of the best buildings downtown and perfect for a movie or rock star."

Married couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith have had an application to move into New York's notorious Dakota building turned down - because residents don't want another John Lennon "incident". Ex-Beatle Lennon lived in the exclusive Manhattan residence for years before he was murdered at its entrance on December 8, 1980. The Dakota's inhabitants are anxious to avoid a repeat occurrence and so refused Banderas and Griffith's request to purchase a $3.8 million apartment. One says, "How could they be serious? The building is fickle when it comes to celebrities. They don't want another Lennon incident." The Dakota building was also the setting of director Roman Polanski's classic 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.