Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise has angrily hit out at accusations his burgeoning romance with Katie Holmes is a publicity stunt. Polls in US magazines People and Us Weekly show a majority of both publications' readers are skeptical about the sincerity of the Hollywood couple's relationship. The American public are dubious about the love affair because both Cruise and Holmes have films released this month - Cruise stars in War Of The Worlds, while Holmes is in Batman Begins. But Cruise is shocked by the criticism, insisting he is genuinely in love with the sexy actress. He says of the rumors, "I have to laugh. It's just ridiculous. Something magnificent has happened to me and something extraordinary, and I'm so happy I just can't restrain myself." Cruise, 42, has been celebrating his love for 26-year-old Holmes during numerous public appearances, most notably on Oprah Winfrey's talk show last month. On Winfrey's program, Cruise leaped up and down on the host's famous couch shouting "I'm in love! I'm in love!" while laughing manically.

Actor Sean Penn has caused controversy in America by attending anti-US meetings and interviewing the major contender for presidency in Iran about American politics, during his stint in the Middle East covering Iran's elections for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. The controversial movie star has been hired as a journalist by Sharon Stone's ex-husband Phil Bronstein and is working with a translator in Tehran ahead of the elections on June 17. But he has already offended many Americans by listening to Muslim worshippers chanting "death to America" last Friday. Penn says of the weekly "death to America" chants, "I understand the nature of where it comes from and what its intention is. But I don't think it's productive because I think the message goes to the American people and it is interpreted very literally." He also sparked a media frenzy, by quizzing former Iranian president and Sh'ite Muslim cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, about America's belief Iran's election is undemocratic, because hundreds of possible contenders were banned from running by a panel of religious leaders. But Rafsanjani told Penn Iran's elections are more democratic than America's, because they have eight presidential candidates, which is more than the US had at their November polls. Rafsanjani says, "If the number of candidates is a proof of democracy, we are better than the Americans in this regard."

Former Friends star Matthew Perry is reportedly a single man once again, after parting ways with his longtime girlfriend Rachel Dunn. Dunn, a former fashion student, and Perry met in 2003. And things were going so well that late last year, she briefly moved from New York to Los Angeles to be closer to her beau, but eventually returned home several weeks later. A pal tells People magazine, "There was no drama involved (in the break-up), just a commitment by Matthew to stay focused on his sobriety." Perry, 35, has publicly battled addiction to both alcohol and prescription painkillers in the past. Perry's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, has declined to comment on reports of the split.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has disappointed fans by banning any copies of the boy wizard novels from being published online in e-book form. The multi-millionairess' unpopular decision was sparked by the problems caused by pirate versions of the Potter releases, which appeared on the internet without her permission last month. Neil Blair, a lawyer with Rowling's literary agency, explains, "This has not been an area that we have sought to license. We monitor the internet and take appropriate action." But experts are convinced the magical Potter saga would be a smash hit in digital format. Nicholas Bogaty, director of the Open Ebook Forum, says, "I'm sure it would be a very big book very quickly and would probably serve as a terrific marketing vehicle to get people to buy the print book." Barbara Marcus, president of the children's books division of Rowling's US publisher, Scholastic Inc, counters, "I don't think that there is a cool enough or interesting enough hardware to get the kids engaged. One of the fantasies I had was of kids walking around, without backpacks, and somebody would say, 'You have to read Of Mice And Men and The Red Badge Of Courage. Here are the e-books.' That fantasy hasn't happened." Rowling's latest Harry Potter adventure, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, is released on July 16.

Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke to graduating students who had their backs turned to him on Tuesday, after going ahead with a speech at his alma mater despite protests. When a group of students learned that California Governor Schwarzenegger was due to speak at Santa Monica Community College's graduation, they asked the school's board of trustees tonight for his invitation to be withdrawn, claiming his budget policies had made community college education less accessible. But their bid was unsuccessful and Schwarzenegger drew mixed reactions as he went ahead with his speech - facing both detractors and admirers among the crowd of approximately 5,000. In his speech, during which he made no political references, Schwarzenegger spoke of his own success story nearly 35 years after he enrolled in the same college. Demonstrators later took to the streets waving banners emblazoned with such words as 'Broken Promises' and 'True Liar'.

Stunning actress Brooke Shields wants to bring an end to her feud with Tom Cruise, following a very public war of words. The former Suddenly Susan star, 40, had lashed out at Cruise after he criticized her for using anti-depressants to ease her post-partum depression. But Shields is now willing to end the feud - and even plans to see his upcoming movie. She tells People magazine, "I'll see him in War Of The Worlds. I agree with him about his feeling on prescribing drugs to kids. We are in accord. I don't think Ritalin should be prescribed to kids." But Shields insists that Cruise took his comments one step too far, adding, "Post-partum depression is a different matter. I think I'm more qualified to talk about that (than he is)." And Shields believes she has little to be sorry about after taking a jab at the 16-year age difference between Cruise and Katie Holmes, explaining, "My comment about his girlfriend is flattering in Hollywood terms!"

Newly vindicated pop superstar Michael Jackson's plans to breath life back into his music career by performing at Live 8 are being considered by organizers of the star-studded extravaganza. Following his acquittal of child molestation on Monday night, Jackson is keen to return to the stage, and sees either the London or Philadelphia legs of the event as the perfect places to relaunch himself. And Live 8 organizers are thinking about booking the controversial star, who co-wrote the 1980s hit We Are The World with Lionel Richie, raising more than $90 million for famine relief. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith says, "Obviously we'd consider it." But Goldsmith hinted Jackson may not recover from the mental and physical damage he suffered during the grueling three month case in time - after reportedly losing more than 13 kilograms in weight during the court case. He adds, "Whether it's appropriate is another issue, whether he is in a fit state is another issue, whether he can work is another issue and whether he can work live is another issue."

Teri Hatcher is concerned by the effect the paparazzi has on her daughter Emerson, because the seven-year-old has become terrified of the aggressive photographers. The Desperate Housewives star is keen to protect her child, although journalists have told the sexy brunette that they are becoming fed-up of seeing snaps of her in unglamorous situations. She says, "The paparazzi make Emerson cry, they scare her so much with those huge long-lens cameras. (Journalists) say to me, 'It's so hard to write about you when it's just shot after shot of you and your daughter at another garage sale! You have to go to a club!"

Jane Fonda fell in love with co-star Robert Redford when they made three movies together in the 1960s and 1970s - even though she was married at the time. The pair made The Chase, Barefoot In The Park and The Electric Horseman together between 1965 and 1979, and Fonda confesses she harbored secret unrequited desires for the silver screen idol throughout their working relationship. Fonda, who was married to Roger Vadim from 1965 to 1973 and Tom Hayden from 1979 to 1990, says, "There's something about Bob that's impossible not to fall in love with. I was smitten. I couldn't wait to get to work, wouldn't even get mad when he was his habitual one or two hours late. He never knew it, of course. Nothing ever happened between us except that we always had a good time together."

Actress Christina Applegate still can't believe Ben Affleck deliberately displayed his genitals to her while shooting a movie scene. The 33-year-old was working with the eccentric heart-throb on Surviving Christmas last year, when she saw more of him than she expected. She says, "They were doing a shot of a briefcase and Ben put his stuff on the case. It was gross." And Applegate is not the first Hollywood star to witness his racy humor, director Kevin Smith had to endure Affleck's favorite prank - resting his scrotum on the back of the movie maker's neck during breaks on the set of movie flop Jersey Girl.