Jon Stewart has been named the host for the 80th Academy Awards, marking the comedian's second appearance as emcee for the awards show. Stewart, who has won numerous Emmy awards for his work on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, previously hosted two years ago, when the top award went to Crash. It was announced the previous day that Oscar veteran Gilbert Cates was tapped as producer of the show, his 14th go-round. In the AMPAS official release, Cates was quoted as saying, "Jon was a terrific host for the 78th Awards. He is smart, quick, funny, loves movies and is a great guy. What else could one ask for?" Stewart himself said, "I'm thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time because, as they say, the third time's a charm." Last year's show was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and drew 39.9 million viewers, just slightly above Stewart's audience of 38.9 million in 2006. The show is set to air on Sunday, February 24th.

Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson will join the cast of the film version of Sex And The City - as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant, it has been reported. The Dreamgirls star is in final negotiations to join Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon for the long-awaited movie version of the sassy, Emmy Award-winning HBO comedy, according to industry publication Variety. Filming for Sex and the City is due to begin next week. Fellow TV show star Chris Noth is slated to reprise his role as Mr. Big, though none of the other male love interests for the characters have been confirmed.

Comedienne Kathy Griffin has come under fire from a former TV costar for joking about Jesus at the Creative Emmy Awards on Saturday night. The funnywoman, who claimed the Outstanding Reality Programm prize for her show Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List, upset Christians by poking fun at her peers who thanked Christ for their good fortune. In her acceptance speech, Griffin quipped, "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus... This award is my God now." Griffin's comments have upset her former Suddenly Susan co-star Sherri Shepherd, who is also a stand-up comic. On TV show The View on Tuesday morning, Shepherd raged, "I love Kathy but I was trying to text her, 'Girl, you know you ain't supposed to be saying no mess like that.' There's just a line that you shouldn't cross, there's a reverence for God that we should have." Griffin's taped acceptance speech will be heavily censored when it airs at the official Emmy Awards on Sunday. Officials at the Catholic League, a U.S. anti-defamation group, called on Emmy bosses to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment" at Sunday's ceremony.

Justin Timberlake has postponed shows in Sacramento and San Jose, California as he fights to beat a sinus infection. The pop superstar pulled the plug on Monday's Sacramento show and Wednesday's San Jose concert after revealing he was feeling sick at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday. Backstage, after claiming two of the night's big awards, he said, "I just don't fell well right now. I have this sinus thing going on." A spokesman for the singer says, "The shows have been rescheduled following a doctor mandated several day vocal rest prescribed to the artist to repair vocal strain inflicted during his MTV Vma performance and months of rigorous touring." Both postponed shows will now take place later this month.

Troubled movie star Owen Wilson is tackling his reported drug problems by planning a road trip with a sober sponsor. The Wedding Crashers actor, who attempted to take his own life last month, has chosen not to check into rehab for counseling and instead is hoping to slip out of Los Angeles to spend a little quality time alone. According to In Touch Weekly magazine, Wilson has hired a $750-a-day sober companion and is considering taking a trip out of town. An insider says, "Owen's sober companion will be traveling with him." Wilson was found distressed at his home in Santa Monica, California on August 26 and taken to a nearby hospital emergency room. He was transferred to Cedars-Sinai hospital, where he stayed for observation for a week.

Prison Break star Lane Garrison has been moved to the Twin Towers jail in Los Angeles to await sentencing in relation to charges of vehicular manslaughter. The 27-year-old actor was transferred to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility last week after completing an enforced 90-day psychiatric evaluation behind bars to determine whether he is suitable for parole. Spokeswoman Terry Thornton from California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirms: "Lane Garrison has completed his diagnostic commitment and was turned over to Los Angeles County authorities on Friday." Garrison has pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, driving under the influence and providing alcohol to a minor in August, following the car crash which killed 17-year-old Vahagn Setian in December 2006. He will discover his fate on October 31 when he is due to be sentenced at Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina Lohan has hit back at Jodie Foster for criticizing her parenting skills, insisting the actress has no right to comment on her family situation without knowing all the facts. Former child actress Foster last week blamed Lohan Snr. for the Mean Girls star's recent legal troubles, saying: "Can I just ask, where is her mother? I mean, really, where is her mother?" But Dina is furious at Foster's outburst and wishes the Flightplan star had approached her personally to discuss her thoughts. She fumes, "It really saddens me that a mum would comment on another mum without ever meeting me! Ironically Lindsay's talent was compared to Jodie Foster's as a little girl! I don't know what Jodie dealt with as a young Hollywood actress but I do know if it weren't for her mother she would not be a successful actress today! I'm sure her mother made many sacrifices for her to be successful. All we want as parents is to cultivate our children's dreams, whatever field they choose. She has no idea who we are and what we have dealt with! If she has a question to ask me, don't ridicule me publicly! She should know how the press twists the truth! Don't judge without facts!"

Billy Bob Thornton unsettled co-star Susan Sarandon on the set of new movie comedy Mr. Woodcock by pasting photos of the actress all over his trailer. Prankster Thornton, who plays Sarandon's tough sports teacher fiance in the film, was desperate to break the ice with his costar and came up with an elaborate plan that involved surfing the Internet and cutting out old snaps of her. He says, "We didn't know each other before this, so me and a couple of friends came up with a plan to get her attention. I put up pictures of Susan in my trailer from like when she was in her first movies all the way to the present day. They were all over the walls. Then I invited her in and never mentioned them and acted like everything was normal. I just wanted to make her nervous and make her think that I was some kind of weird stalker of hers. It kind of worked." Sarandon admits the prank worked a little too well: "We were talking and all of a sudden I realize there are hundreds of pictures of me... things I hadn't even seen. He got worried because at first I didn't say anything, but then eventually I was like, 'What's wrong with this picture?'"

Rocker Tommy Lee has apologized to Alicia Keys for brawling with Kid Rock during her MTV Video Music Awards performance on Sunday. Lee was forced to sit still by security staff at the Palms in Las Vegas after exchanging fighting talk with his nemesis, and now he's speaking out about the incident. In a posting on his website, the Motley Crue drummer insists he was the innocent party in the fracas, just hanging out with pals Criss Angel and Travis Barker. He says, "I get a tap on the shoulder from Kid Pebble. I stand up and embrace him with a semi hug and say, 'Hey dude, what up?' He punches me in the face... Well if ya wanna call it that!?... (It was) more like a bitch slap!... Wuss!!" The drummer then calls Kid Rock a "jealous country bumpkin" before taking a moment to say sorry to Keys: "I apologize sweetie... I had nothing to do with the timing and disrespect."

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon has recurring nightmares about drowning after watching her mother rescue kids from watery graves. The Rendition actress, who admits she has a fear of water, often wakes up in a panic after dreaming she is drowning. She tells Elle magazine, "(I have) those dreams where you're drowning and nobody's helping you and people are just standing on the bank watching you drown? (It's) not really funny. I remember three occasions where my mother dove into a pool to save a child that was drowning. Watching children by the pool, I have nightmares."

Former child star Jodie Sweetin is expecting her first child just weeks after marrying new husband Cody Herpin in Las Vegas. The wild former Full House star wed movie set designer Herpin on July 14 weeks after meeting him for the first time. And now the 25-year-old former crystal methamphetamine addict is getting ready to be a mom.