Madonna has slammed press reports she and husband Guy Ritchie broke African adoption law to become the legal parents of a one-year-old Malawian boy, insisting the process was not as speedy as everyone believes. In a statement released yesterday, the pop superstar explains the adoption process took months but she was careful to keep her plans a secret. Madonna and Ritchie were granted interim adoption of little David yesterday, after the motherless tot was granted a visa that allows him to travel with them. But the adoption has sparked a massive debate in Africa and Madonna's current home, England, where officials and gossips claim the singer and her movie maker husband were given special treatment as they went about the process of becoming parents to the orphan. Some experts have even suggested the adoption may be illegal. But, in the statement, Madonna charges, "We have gone about the adoption procedure according to the law, like anyone else who adopts a child. Reports to the contrary are totally inaccurate. The procedure includes an 18-month evaluation period after which time we hope to make this adoption permanent. This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly. I am overwhelmed and inspired by my trip to Malawi and hope that it helps bring attention to how much more the world needs to do to help the children of Africa. My heartfelt thanks for all the good wishes I have received and I hope the press will allow my family some room for us to experience the joy we feel to have David home."

Actor Wesley Snipes has been indicted on eight counts of tax fraud over allegations he tried to cheat the US government out of millions of dollars in false refund claims. The White Men Can't Jump star also failed to file tax returns for six years between 1999 and 2004, according to legal documents filed in Tampa, Florida. He could face up to 16 years behind bars if found guilty of the tax offenses, which total nearly $12 million in fraudulently claimed refunds on income taxes paid in 1996 and 1997. Snipes has so far evaded arrest because authorities cannot find him. In 2002, the Justice Department sued a Florida tax preparer who it said filed bogus tax refund claims, including a $7.3 million demand for Snipes. The actor was not named as a defendant in that case.

Hotel heiress Nicky Hilton and Entourage star Kevin Connolly have split after dating for two years. In August 2004, Hilton married money manager Todd Meister, but split from him only months later. She had dated Connolly before the brief marriage, which was later annulled, and by January 2005 the couple were officially back together. Hilton's representative confirms to American publication Us Weekly, "They're no longer a couple." A Hilton pal says the 23-year-old "dumped" Connolly on October 16, after she suspected he had been unfaithful. Hilton is currently working to open the Nicky O Hotel on Miami, Florida's famed Ocean Drive.

Actress and talk show host Rosie O'Donnell has confirmed she will star in a Nip/Tuck spin-off show. The A League Of Their Own star made a guest appearance on the show as a lottery winner who sleeps with her plastic surgeon. And the character proved to be such a hit with fans, producers approached her about starring in her own show. In the "Ask Ro" section of her internet blog, she is asked the question, "Is it true ur in talks for a spinoff series starring as Dawn Budge?" O'Donnell posted the message, "Talks r over. I said yes." The new series will reportedly be shot in New York City, so O'Donnell can also continue her hosting duties on US chat show The View.

Australian actress Naomi Watts has reportedly been offered the lead role in the remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 horror classic The Birds. Armageddon director Michael Bay's company will produce the new version of the film. She would play the role of Melanie Daniels, which was played by Tippi Hedren, in the original, according to moviehole.net. The script is being re-worked by Leslie Dixon, who updated The Thomas Crown Affair for Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in 1999. The movie features a wealthy San Francisco socialite who follows a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town where birds suddenly begin to launch vicious attacks on people.

The Simple Life star Nicole Richie and ex-boyfriend Brody Jenner broke-up because the pair got too serious too fast, resulting in constant bickering. The couple, who have been friends since childhood, dated for two months before calling it quits earlier this month. Jenner tells American publication Star, "It was getting too serious. We started fighting. There was too much bickering." Jenner says geography was a big reason the two began dating in the first place saying, "She lived above me, you know, in the apartment building. So it was convenient. I've known her since we were kids and I really just wanted to be friends. She's a great girl and now we are good friends." Both parties have wasted no time in moving on - Jenner is dating The Hills reality TV star Lauren Conrad, while Richie has been spotted with French fashion editor Samuel Plouchart.

The Bourne Identity star Matt Damon was so stunned by the reality of Africa's water crisis during a recent location-finding trip to the Sahara Desert, he launched a new initiative to fight the growing problem. The actor, alongside the production team for upcoming documentary Running The Sahara, set up H2OAfrica in a bid to raise awareness and support much-needed clean-water programs. Damon says he "saw firsthand the effects of one of the largest public health issues of our time - the world water crisis which is at its worst in Africa."

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown is reportedly expecting boyfriend Eddie Murphy's baby. The singer is reportedly four months pregnant with the Daddy Day Care star's child. It will be Murphy's eighth child and Brown's second. According to entertainment news website Tmz.com, Brown confirmed the news while shopping at Le Bra Lingerie boutique in West Hollywood on Saturday. She is a frequent customer and admitted that the pregnancy had left her feeling tired. The star also said she was concerned she may be pregnant with twins, since they tend to run in Murphy's family. While on her shopping spree, she picked up nearly $5,000 worth of Eres lingerie and $3,000 worth of La Perla men's undershirts and underwear for Murphy. In April, Murphy's divorce from his ex-wife Nicole became final. The Shrek star has five children with Nicole, a son with Tamara Hood and another son with Paulette McNeely. Brown has a seven-year-old daughter, Phoenix Chi, from her previous marriage to Jimmy Gulzar. The news comes amid rumors that the couple are set to tie the knot sometime next month.

Pop star Britney Spears is trying to boost the sales of her husband Kevin Federline's debut album by sponsoring a contest where the fan who helps sell the most albums gets to party with the couple on Halloween. According to MSNBC's The Scoop, the couple are having a special CD release party on Halloween night to promote the aspiring rapper's debut album Playing With Fire. The second prize is a pair of sneakers that Federline wore when he performed at the Teen Choice Awards in August. The third place winner gets a $200 gift certificate, while 10 runners-up get a replica of a medallion that Federline wears.

Akeelah And The Bee was the big winner at the 2006 Black Movie Awards on Sunday, taking home four awards. The film, which follows a young girl's journey to the National Spelling Bee, was named Outstanding Motion Picture, and won acting awards for lead actress Keke Palmer and supporting actors Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett. Other winners include actor Presley Chweneyagae for his role in the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi and director Spike Lee for Inside Man. The 2006 Black Movie Awards will air tomorrow on US network TNT.