Feuding friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's reality TV show The Simple Life has been saved, after US network E! Entertainment Television bought the program. Socialites Hilton and Richie leapt to fame in late 2003 with the show, which saw the pampered party girls attempt to live normal lives on a small budget. After the girls' mysterious bust-up in January and falling ratings, the Fox network announced there was no room for The Simple Life last month. However, E! announced Monday they would take over the show, altering the format so Hilton and Richie do not have to share screen time. Ted Harbert, president and CEO of E! Networks, enthuses, "We are thrilled to welcome Paris, Nicole and The Simple Life to E!. The addition of this huge comedy hit to our schedule will continue to distinguish E! as the leader in entertainment, celebrity and pop culture television." The fourth season - dubbed Till Death Do Us Part - will star Hilton and Richie taking turns to play "wife" to a family, with the kids and husband deciding each week, who did a better job at running the house. E! have also obtained the rights to the first three seasons of The Simple Life and debut the fourth in Spring 2006.

Jennifer Beals' former business manager has filed a breach of contract suit against the actress in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in a row over commission. Seven Summits Pictures And Management, who represented Beals between November 2001 and November 2003, argue that because they helped the actress get her role on The L Word they are entitled to 10 per cent commission from subsequent seasons. The firm claims Beals only paid them commission for season one of the hit US TV series, which is now in its third season, and that she owes them more than $215,158 for seasons two and three. Seven Summits' lawyer Alexander Rufus-Isaacs tells the New York Daily News, "Essentially, Miss Beals was way off the radar when they began to manage her, they helped put her back on the scene, and now that she's back in a big series, she goes and dumps them. But the way it works is, if somebody breaks their a*s and gets you a good gig, they're entitled to 10 per cent of the money. If The L Word goes into subsequent seasons the amount will go up."

Rapper Snoop Dogg's bid to keep imprisoned murderer Stanley 'Tookie' Williams alive seems to have paid off - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to meet with the incarcerated gang boss' legal team. The hip-hop star asked for clemency in his pal's death sentence when he joined a rally outside San Quentin Prison, California - and performed a song he'd written to pay tribute to Williams. And Schwarzenegger, who has yet to overturn any death sentences in his term as Governor, has agreed to consider giving the jailed former Crips gang leader the Christmas gift of life. Williams is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on December 13. Schwarzenegger's press secretary Margita Thompson says, "The Governor reviewed the material in the case this week and he decided the best route is a private clemency hearing, so he can hear directly from counsel."

Hollywood couple Courteney Cox and David Arquette are developing a sitcom about a private investigator with Everybody Loves Raymond writer/producer Jeremy Stevens. The married Scream co-stars both have a hand in the TV project - The Return of Zoom star Cox is set to executive produce, while Eight Legged Freaks actor Arquette is penciled in to star. Stevens will write the pilot for the as-yet-untitled show, which will be developed with the assistance of US TV network ABC, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Long Day's Journey Into Night actress Constance Cummings has died in Oxfordshire, England. She was 95. The Seattle, Washington-born star died last Wednesday. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Cummings started her acting career in the theatre and after a stint on New York's Broadway, landed her first film role starring opposite Walter Huston and Boris Karloff in The Criminal Code in 1931. After a string of Hollywood films in the 1930s, Cummings and her playwright husband Benn Levy moved to his native England, where the actress carved out a successful film and theatre career. Cummings worked under Sir Laurence Olivier for three years at London's National Theatre, but often returned to America for work, where she won a Tony award for her performance in the Broadway production of Wings in 1979. Her husband Levy died in 1973. Cummings is survived by their son and daughter.

Rocker Rod Stewart and his fiancee Penny Lancaster are celebrating after bringing a baby son into the world on Sunday. The 7 pound, 7 ounce tot was born at the St. John and St. Elizabeth Hospital in London at 2:24am. Both mother and child are said to be doing fine at home in Epping, England. In a statement from the proud father, who was present at the birth, Stewart says, "Both Penny and our baby son are gorgeous, healthy and doing well. I am so very proud of my girl Pen for the commitment, courage and strength she showed throughout. We are celebrating every moment with our beautiful boy, we just can't take our eyes off him." Lancaster adds, "It means so much to Rod and I that we were able to keep to our birthing plan and have our baby naturally. It was the most empowering and spiritual experience of my life." The baby is photographer/model Lancaster's first and 60-year-old Stewart's seventh. Stewart's children include Sarah, 41, from a teenage romance with Susannah Boffey; Kimberly, 26, and Sean, 25, by first wife, Alana Stewart; Ruby, 18, with former girlfriend Kelly Emberg; and Renee, 13, and Liam, 11, from his marriage to Rachel Hunter. Stewart and Lancaster plan to wed next summer now his divorce from Hunter is complete.

Marlon Brando's former maid Blanche Hall is suing defunct US TV show Celebrity Justice for allegedly breaking into her residential home in order to film her reaction to the actor's death. Hall, who was a close friend of Brando and often minded his children, has filed a lawsuit against Harvey Levin Productions, Time Warner and Time Telepictures Television. All three companies were involved in producing and broadcasting the show. Papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court accuse the defendants of trespassing, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and elder abuse, reports PageSix.com. Hall was 84 at the time. A spokesperson for Levin confirms the charges but insists, "No professional or personal wrongdoing has been alleged against (Levin) personally."

A life-size bronze statue of Bruce Lee erected in the Bosnian city Mostar was vandalized only hours after being unveiled on Saturday. The life-size figure - which captures Lee in a defensive stance armed with nunchuks - was erected as both a symbolic protest against ethnic division and to mark what would have been the martial arts hero's 65th birthday on Sunday. However, by the following morning, the nunchuk's chain and one of its handles were missing and the statue was surrounded by empty wine and beer bottles. A Mostar police official says, "We have received reports that the statue has been damaged. We are currently investigating the incident." Veljo Dojcinovic, the park's keeper, blames the damage on a group of teenagers: "I heard a loud bang but I was alone and I couldn't stop them. Police should have been more agile. They know that hooligans visit this park regularly."

Hollywood heart-throb Heath Ledger is reveling in his new role as a father, even though his waking hours are now devoted to preparing food and washing up. The Monster's Ball actor is looking after his four-week-old baby Matilda and her mother Michelle Williams in his New York City apartment - and he has already settled into his domesticated new life. He says, "My life right now is ... I wouldn't say reduced to food but my duties in life are that I wake up, cook breakfast, clean the dishes, prepare lunch, clean those dishes, go to the market, get fresh produce, cook dinner, clean those dishes and then sleep if I can. And I love it. I actually adore it." After taking his new family to celebrate Christmas in Montana with Williams' parents, Ledger plans to take baby Matilda to his native Australia. He adds, "Next year my hope is to spend as much time in Australia as possible. I want to introduce Matilda to the ocean."

The OC star Tate Donovan married girlfriend Corinne Kingsbury in a low-key Malibu, California beach wedding on Saturday. The 42-year-old actor, who past dates have included Jennifer Aniston and Sandra Bullock, and his 29-year-old bride were barefooted as they exchanged their vows in a Roman Catholic ceremony. The couple has been together for six years and only got engaged last Month in Florence, Italy.