American actress Adrienne Shelly was found dead at her New York City apartment on Wednesday in what appears to be a suicide. She was 40. Shelly was discovered hanging from a bedsheet by her husband Andy Ostroy, according to the New York Daily News. Police found no evidence of foul play. Shelly - real name Adrienne Levine - was best known for her appearances in the Hal Hartley movies The Unbelievable Truth and Trust. Agent Rachel Sheedy says, "She was an incredibly sweet and talented and generous woman." Police officers are awaiting an autopsy report before deciding whether to continue with investigations. Shelly is survived by her husband and three-year-old daughter Sophie.

Superstar Tom Cruise and executives from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc are resurrecting United Artists, the movie studio founded more than 80 years ago by screen legends including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. MGM executives yesterday announced the new plans which will have Cruise starring in and producing films for the studio. Cruise's production partner Paula Wagner will serve as chief executive for the new studio. According to MGM, Cruise and Wagner will set the company's production slate from development to production green-lighting ability, subject to certain parameters. Paramount Pictures boss Sumner Redstone sensationally axed the studio's deal with Cruise star earlier this year, blaming his famous couch-jumping appearance on Oprah Winfrey's TV show for embarrassing the studio and hampering the performance of sequel Mission: Impossible III.

Wesley Snipes has reached a settlement with the Internal Revenue Service in the US regarding his tax fraud charges. The agreement will likely see Snipes surrender to federal authorities when he next returns to America. In return for agreeing to a payment plan, Snipes will not be jailed and will be allowed both to continue working and to travel abroad. According to a October 17 indictment, Snipes tried to unsuccessfully claim nearly $12 million in false refunds for taxes he paid in 1996 and 1997. The Blade star had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. Snipes is currently in Namibia shooting the horror film Gallowwalker. The film's director Andrew Goth says, "We are happy that he continues to turn up on set each day. If his indictment creates this amount of press, it shows he is a star."

Nicole Kidman is canceling appearances to promote her new film Fur, to avoid talking about new husband Keith Urban's decision to check himself into a rehab facility. The pair have been married since June and Urban announced last week that he was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. Kidman skipped a mini-screening of her film at the Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday night in New York City, which was followed by a posh dinner hosted by the film's executive producer Ed Pressman. According to Fox News, she has also cancelled her appearance at the high-profile New York City premiere on Sunday night, leaving co-star Robert Downey, Jr. and director Steve Shainberg to promote the film. Kidman stars in the film as famed American photographer Diane Arbus, who was noted for her portraits of people on the fringes of society. The Moulin Rouge star has returned to London where she is filming His Dark Materials The Golden Compass:, while Urban remains in rehab in Nashville, Tennessee.

Salma Hayek has a real-life Prince Charming to thank for returning pricey jewelry to her when it ended up on the back seat of a taxi cab. The pretty Frida star picked out $50,000-worth of rented jewelry to show off at a recent New York benefit and her assistant left it in a taxi. Fortunately for the actress, Lorenzo Borghese - the royal star of The Bachelor - was the next person to hail the cab. Lucky Hayek says, "I just took something really simple and they took the rest and the poor girl that brought me the jewelry left it in a taxi. The guy that's like the prince in The Bachelor gets in the cab right after that girl, somewhere random in New York and sees an envelope that says 'Salma Hayek'. He called (TV network) ABC and said, 'I think Salma Hayek just lost $50,000 worth of jewelry,' and they gave it back. Isn't that fantastic?" Hunky Borghese, who is related to historical French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, has an Italian title, passed down from his ancestors in the 1600s.

Late Superman star Christopher Reeve's children have pledged to continue their father's search for a cure to paralysis. The actor died in 2005, nine years after he was left paralyzed by a horse-riding accident. Before his death he established the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to fund research for therapies and a cure. His three children from two relationships, Alexandra, 24, Matthew, 27 and Will, 14, all serve on the foundation's board. Alexandra - Reeve's daughter with former partner Gae Exton - says, "Our dad's accident really did connect us to this community: four million people in the US who are suffering from paralysis. We understand how important it is not only to find a cure but also to improve quality of life." Reeve's widow, Will's mother, Dana Reeve died from lung cancer earlier this year.

Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson has agreed to put his big budget movie version of video game Halo on hold while he searches for a new studio. The Lord Of The Rings filmmaker had continued to shoot the joint project with Microsoft despite the financial withdrawal of Fox and Universal last month. But Jackson - who has handed directorial duties to Neill Blomkamp, and will be a executive producer - has pulled the plug, with the mutual agreement of Microsoft. He says, "We are confident that the final feature film will be well worth the wait." The two movie giants were thought to have pulled out because of a spiraling budget.

Rapper Snoop Dogg has been formally charged with one felony count of knowingly possessing a dangerous weapon by California authorities. The star, real name Calvin Broadus, was arrested on September 27 at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California after allegedly trying to board a plane while carrying a 21 inch collapsible police baton in a computer case. If convicted, he faces a potential maximum of three years in state penitentiary. Bail was set at $150,000. On October 26, he was arrested a second time at Burbank, California's Bob Hope Airport on suspicion of possessing marijuana and a handgun, according to police. After being taken into custody, the rapper was freed on $35,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court on December 12 to be arraigned. The star also had another airport incident at London's Heathrow in April, where Snoop Dogg and several members of his entourage were arrested after an altercation in the business class lounge, which they apparently did not have permission to use.

The film version of Sex And The City is back on track after negotiations with the series' four leading ladies made significant progress this week. Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon were set to star in the big screen version of the hit show before the project collapsed. US Ok! magazine reports exclusively that a studio source has confirmed that the long-postponed project is closer to becoming a reality after "substantial negotiations have opened with each of the stars' teams this week." According to the studio insider, "Obviously, there is still a lot to be worked out contractually, but it would be amazing to get this project off the ground. There is no doubt that fans cannot wait to see them all reunited." Rumors have circulated since the show ended in 2004 that the project was unable to get off the ground because of behind-the-scenes drama between the actresses. Kim Cattrall reportedly refused to appear in the feature film, which reportedly doomed the project. According to sources, enough time has passed and the stars are willing to put their differences aside and move forward with the highly anticipated project.

Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff is returning to the stage to play a bumbling director in the upcoming Las Vegas production of comedy musical The Producers. The actor will play flamboyant Roger De Bris in the new stage show, which is set to hit the city's Paris hotel and casino next year. Hasselhoff and show creator Mel Brooks made the shock announcement at a press conference yesterday morning, with funnyman Brooks insisting the actor was a perfect fit for the new production. Brooks said, "He has incredible comedic timing, terrific musical theatre experience and stage presence and he will be a perfect marriage with the role. And by the way, he has great legs." Hasselhoff stated, "I'm honored to be a part of anything Mel Brooks is a part of. He has always been my favorite man of comedy. He is a giant and it is a dream come true to be part of one of the greatest Broadway musicals in theatre history." Meanwhile, Brooks also announced that Brad Oscar will reprise his portrayal of Max Bialystock for the Las Vegas production. Oscar has played the deceiving producer on Broadway and in London.

When Madonna arrived in Malawi last month she was amazed to discover her name took on a whole different meaning for all the people she met. The "Hung Up" singer has sparked furious debate after adopting David Banda towards the end of her stay in the African country - and began to wonder why locals knew her name when they had no idea of her superstar status. She says, "People started to say my name and they had never heard of Madonna. And, in Chichewa, the word 'madonna' means 'distinguished white lady', so I think they got very confused."