Brad Pitt has apologized to the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival for not being able to attend the premiere of his new movie Babel last night, because he is awaiting the imminent birth of his first child in Namibia. The Fight Club star and girlfriend Angelina Jolie have been staying in a guarded compound in the African country for six weeks in a bid to avoid press intrusion. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Pitt's Babel co-stars Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal are all promoting the film at Cannes. In an email read out at a press conference, Pitt says, "With the imminent arrival of the newest addition to our family, I'm unable to join Alejandro, Cate, and Gael Garcia Bernal and the rest of the cast and crew in introducing the film. I am tremendously proud of Babel and want to congratulate everyone involved in this great achievement."

The Simple Life star Nicole Richie and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein have officially split, for the second time in six months. The pair, who called off their engagement last December, had reunited in recent months and on Saturday the socialite's singer father Lionel Richie claimed marriage was imminent. He said, "Of course I am going to be (at the wedding) for her, and I'll be singing - there's no way I couldn't. I'm really happy that it's working out for her." But the couple have issued a joint statement, released by Richie's publicist Cindy Guagenti, that reads, "We are confirming that we have amicably separated."

Kevin Costner has fired back at Hollywood gossip suggesting he and his new wife Christine Baumgartner are on the verge of splitting up. The movie star's publicist, Paul Bloch, has issued a statement on behalf of his client in a bid to end fresh US tabloid speculation about the state of his marriage. He states, "The story is false. They sold their house in Hollywood and they are moving to Santa Barbara. Kevin is on location and Christine is getting the house ready. Christine Costner is on her way to Shreveport, where Kevin Costner is shooting Mr. Brooks. They'll both then go to Providence, Rhode Island for daughter Annie's graduation from Brown University. The Costners will then head back to Los Angeles where Kevin will continue to help Christine with the move. After that, Kevin will go back and finish shooting the remaining several weeks of Mr. Brooks." The split rumors come just a month after allegations from a masseuse that Costner performed a lewd act in front of her while he was honeymooning with Baumgartner in Scotland in 2004. The unnamed 34-year-old claims Costner grabbed her while she was massaging him, before dropping his towel and exposing himself. Bloch has already rubbished the allegations, stating, "We find it unfortunate that Mr. Costner's name has been brought into what is essentially a dispute between a company owned by a good friend of his and a former employee."

Brokeback Mountain star Michelle Williams' father has been released on bail in Australia after he was arrested on Saturday for allegedly failing to pay US taxes. Larry Richard Williams was detained after American authorities issued a warrant for his return to the US where he is wanted on charges of evading $1.5 million in income tax. Williams, whose daughter has a baby, Matilda, with Australian actor Heath Ledger, arrived in Sydney from South Africa, and was due to be a guest speaker at a series of financial seminars in Australia. Williams, a world-renowned share trading guru who travels extensively revealing his stock market secrets, has been freed on $757,000 ($1 million AUS) bail. He has been ordered to stay in central Sydney, surrender his passport and report to police three times a day. He is accused of creating false documents and using multiple bank accounts to evade his huge tax bill. Williams is due to return to court on May 29.

School Of Rock star Joan Cusack will portray cooking legend Julia Child in a new film. The American gourmet was famous for introducing French cuisine and cooking techniques to mainstream America through her many cookbooks and TV shows. She died in August 2004, just two days short of her 92nd birthday. Cusack says, "Many people don't know all about the real Julia Child. She had this great marriage." The star admits her own cooking skills are less than impressive, adding, "Actually, Julia didn't start cooking until she was 37. I love that about her! It's never too late. Even for me!"

Singer Britney Spears has stopped studying Kabbalah, because church leaders kept asking her for money, according to media reports in the US. The pop star was introduced to the faith, often described as Jewish mysticism, by Madonna in 2003. She posted a message on her website last month, stating, "I no longer study Kaballah (sic), my baby is my religion." A source tells MSNBC.com's The Scoop, "She's tired of the way (Kabbalah leaders) kept hassling her for money. Actually, it was mostly her mother's decision. They were always asking Britney to tithe (donate a percentage of her income to the church). There was a lot of pressure, and finally her mom said, 'Enough is enough.'" Spears onetime Kabbalah mentor, Madonna, reportedly has donated millions of dollars to the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles. Spears' representative claims she has no idea why the singer left the religion, and hasn't asked.

Sir Ian McKellen took inspiration for his role in X-Men: The Last Stand from society's treatment of homosexuals, because he was made to feel like an inferior outsider. The Lord Of The Rings star has been openly gay since the 1980s, and he takes exception to the common assumption that homosexuals can be "cured" - and channeled his fury into the role of Magneto. Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival Monday, McKellen vented, "As a gay man, some people think that it ought to be cured and made normal again and I find it as offensive as someone saying that they have a cure for the color of their skin. This particular story was close to my heart; it has an important message to young people who may for one reason or another be disaffected with society because society points at their differences and says that they're inferior to the rest of us." In Brett Ratner's third installment of the comic book adaptation, McKellen's character leads the evil mutant's struggle against government plans to introduce a cure for their conditions.

Irish rocker Bono has hit out at America's stance on the cotton trade during his visit to Mali, the latest stop on his African tour. The singer visited cotton farmers in the north-western African country and promised to fight their case at the new World Trade Organization (WTO) summit. He says, "There are cotton farmers in America who need to meet you. This is my biggest desire because I think they will understand you better because I think American cotton farmers would respect how you work the land so well with little water. The reason you don't get more for your cotton is because world trade talks, the people who are sitting at the table, do not respect your situation. We will try to represent you in the trade talks where they won't let you sit." Bono criticized America for handing out $4.2 billion in subsidies to its cotton farmers in 2004-2005. He believes these payments depress the international cotton market and ruin African economies.

Liza Minnelli will be honored by actress Brittany Murphy when the Cabaret star is presented with the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement from The Actors' Fund of America. Murphy will present her heroine with her latest prize at the 10th Annual Tony Awards Party in Los Angeles on June 11. Previous recipients of the honour have included Julie Harris (for whom the award was named), Gwen Verdon and Rita Moreno.