Veteran director Richard Fleischer died on Saturday of natural causes at the Motion Picture And Television Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 89. The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea movie-maker's death has sparked a flurry of tributes from Hollywood's finest - including California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who worked with Fleischer on 1984's Conan The Destroyer. Schwarzenegger says, "(He was) a true Hollywood legend. He was a man of great talent and an extraordinary director." Fleischer was born into a showbiz family - his father, Max Fleischer, was the animator behind Betty Boop and Popeye. Starting off making B-movies in the late 1940s, Fleischer quickly made a name for himself, going on to direct hits including Tora! Tora! Tora!, the Charles Bronson-starring Mr. Majestyk, and Doctor Dolittle with Rex Harrison - although he admitted the famously unpopular Harrison needed "a swift kick in the head." Fleischer is survived by his wife Mary, their three children and five grandchildren.

Actor Keith Carradine has filed a civil lawsuit against Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano after discovering he was among the stars named in a wire-tapping scandal. Carradine and his fiancee claim the actor's ex-wife, Sandra Will Carradine, conspired with the investigator and communications company employees to illegally tape phone conversations. In court papers, the Nashville star alleges Pellicano and his ex used "malicious and illegal tactics" to gain leverage in divorce proceedings after he split from his wife in 1993. The actor has hired top attorney Mark Geragos to fight his case, but his ex-wife's lawyer feels sure a jury will sympathize with his client. Peter Knecht says, "She was being a good mother, trying to find out how to get support for her kids. Her motives were neither evil nor sinister." Carradine is one of 12 people, including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Garry Shandling, who were alleged victims of Pellicano and his associates. The investigator has been indicted on charges of illegal wiretapping.

Super Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock shocked a Pennsylvania high school a Friday when joked about the intelligence of McDonald's employees and marijuana-smoking teachers. Spurlock, who was nominated for an Oscar for his 2004 documentary on the health risks of McDonald's food, spoke for an hour to students and teachers at the Hatboro-Horsham High School's health fair in Horsham. While some of the pupils enjoyed his entertaining speech, special education students and the teachers did not. During the talk, Spurlock mocked "retarded kids in the back wearing Helmets," which prompted teachers to remove the special needs students from the lecture. The school's Superintendent William Lessa says, "If you put the whole package together, the use of the F-word and poking fun at teachers and the comments about special-needs students, it just wasn't appropriate." Spurlock claims he was baffled by the school's response, claiming he has made similar comments at other educational establishments. He remarks, "The greatest lesson those kids learned today was the importance of free speech."

Soul great Isaac Hayes has slammed reports a stroke was the real reason he quit South Park. Last week, an internet report claimed Hayes, 63, had suffered a stroke in January and a mystery person has issued a press release on his behalf, declaring his reasons for leaving the program. Scientologist Hayes departed his voiceover role as ladykiller Chef in the popular animation series on March 13, claiming he could no longer support the controversial comedy's "inappropriate ridicule of religious communities." South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have killed off the character of Chef in the opening episode of the new series, which sees the culinary loverman depicted as a pedophile before dying in a series of grisly events. Hayes insists his health has nothing to do with his decision to leave the show, and says the only time he went into hospital was to receive treatment for high blood pressure and exhaustion. His spokeswoman Amy Harnell says, "That's a false report. He wasn't in the hospital for very long. He's back on his feet, and Doing really well. The press release did come from him. He is the one who decided to leave South Park. Basically, he decided to leave it behind him." Harnell adds Hayes is busy preparing himself for fatherhood again because his fourth wife Adjowa is expecting a baby "due any minute."

Newly-single pop star Jessica Simpson has now dumped her record company. Just four months after announcing the end of her three-year marriage to Nick Lachey, Simpson has signed with Epic, ending a seven-year deal with bosses at Columbia. In a statement she says, "I love all my friends and supporters at Columbia. I will miss them as I start this new relationship. Epic is in a new place with a new leader. It just seems the right place for me as I begin my new journey." The singer is reportedly working with top R&B producers Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Scott Storch on a follow-up to her hit 2003 album In This Skin for her new label.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes is returning to Broadway to helm a new production of the David Hare play The Vertical Hour, starring Julianne Moore. It will be the American Beauty filmmaker's first theatre work since his revival of the musical Gypsy on the New York stage in 2003. The Vertical Hour will focus on post 9/11 politics with Moore playing American war correspondent Nadia Blye, who teaches political studies at Yale University. The actress' last theatrical appearance was in 1992 when she appeared in Vanya On 42nd Street - about a rehearsal for the Anton Chekhov play Uncle Vanya. The new play opens in November.

Pop star Britney Spears has silenced tabloid rumors she is pregnant with her second child by sipping cocktails in a Las Vegas, Nevada restaurant. The singer was celebrating husband Kevin Federline's 28th birthday on Tuesday night with a decadent dinner at Tao restaurant. Although Spears was seen knocking back Cosmopolitans (vodka, triple sec, cranberry and lime juice), she still seemed to have an appetite for two, devouring spare ribs, crispy tuna, pork rolls, lobster tempura and Chilean sea bass, among other Asian delicacies at the hip nightspot. After the main course, Federline's birthday cake was delivered by two female "little people" who climbed atop a table to sing, "Happy Birthday," according to the New York Daily News. The couple then moved the party to Pure nightclub, where Spears was seen kicking off her shoes and dancing to music by Prince.

Country legend Buck Owens died of heart failure at his home in Bakersfield, California on Saturday. He was 76. The star, who sold more than 16 million albums and had 15 consecutive US country number one singles, passed away in his sleep. Born in Texas, Owens moved to Bakersfield in 1951 and had his first top 10 hit in 1960 with "Under Your Spell Again." Keyboardist Jim Shaw, who played in Owen's band The Buckaroos, says, "He was one of the true innovators. I think the reason he was so well known and respected by a younger generation of country musicians was because he was an innovator and rebel. He did it his own way, an outside gunslinger type who used his own band and made music in Hollywood rather than Nashville. That free spirit made him important to a lot of people." Owens also co-hosted TV show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1986.

Screen veteran Paul Newman is backing a bill to protect image and vocal rights for actors. The possible ruling could make it illegal for movie-makers to steal previous footage or speech and use it in other projects for up to 70 year's after the actor's death, unless consent has been sought. Newman, alongside fellow actors Christopher Plummer and Charles Grodin, fears developments in movie technology will mean he can appear in an entire film without being physically involved - and without permission. He says, "They could make a whole movie that looked like me, talked like me, acted like me, sounded like me, but wasn't me." Plummer adds, "We are suddenly being cloned into something we're not. We are robbed of our individuality and our life's work is tarnished."

David Hasselhoff is firing back at claims he terrorized his estranged wife with abuse in front of his kids, suggesting his ex needs professional help. Pamela Hasselhoff has won a restraining order from a Los Angeles court after claiming in court documents the Baywatch star once screamed four-letter insults at her in front of their kids and slammed her into a car. But the actor insists his ex-wife's allegations are a figment of her imagination. Hasselhoff's publicist Judy Katz says, "David Hasselhoff categorically denies that he has engaged in the conduct alleged by his wife. Unfortunately, Mrs. Hasselhoff has personal issues that need to be addressed with the assistance of professionals. Out of consideration for his children, which, as always, remains his paramount concern, he is not going to discuss this publicly." Pamela isn't letting her ex's response pass without comment. Her representative, Dale Olson, tells entertainment news website TMZ.com, "We question Mr. Hasselhoff's statement about his wife requiring professional help. What does that mean? Professional help could mean an agent looking for a job for her. What he is trying to imply is something medical and that is a defamatory statement and we object to that. There has never been an allegation of this type made against Pamela in her career."