U.S. talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has issued an apology to parents and pupils at her school in South Africa, amid allegations of sexual abuse there. Claims of misconduct within the star's $46 million all-girls academy came to light earlier this month when a member of staff was removed from the Johannesburg school by child protection officers. The school is now being investigated by the South African police and U.S. investigators, reports the New York Daily News. And Winfrey admits she has let down pupils and parents of those connected with the school. She says, "I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Ryan Gosling has denied reports claiming he was fired from Peter Jackson's new movie The Lovely Bones for his "demanding" nature, insisting he was just too young for the role. The 26-year-old was recently replaced by Mark Wahlberg, 36, in the lead role of Jack Salmon, prompting speculation over Gosling's abrupt departure. Sources recently told the New York Post's gossip column, PageSix, "Peter couldn't stand Ryan... He was so demanding. Peter booted him two days before filming started." But Gosling refutes the claims and is convinced the Shooter star is a more suitable choice for the character - a father whose life is turned upside down when his young daughter is brutally raped and murdered. Gosling tells Parade magazine, "The age of the character versus my real age was always a concern of mine. Peter and I tried to make it work and ultimately it just didn't. I think the film is much better off with Mark Wahlberg in that role. Peter Jackson is an incredible filmmaker and I'm here to tell you that he has things up his sleeve that are going to blow peoples' minds. I'm going to be the first person in line to buy tickets."

Hollywood actor-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was 'joking' when he said marijuana was "not a drug," his spokesman said on Monday. The Last Action Hero star, 60, told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though he has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary, Pumping Iron. Now Schwarzenegger's press secretary, Aaron McLear, has come forth in defense of the star - insisting he made the comments in a lighthearted context. McLear says, "The governor was doing an interview with the host of America's Got Talent (Piers Morgan), the newest version of the show. I think it's important to keep that quote in the context of the environment where it was said. Of course the governor understands marijuana is a drug. It's like when he goes on Leno or The Daily Show - if you took something like that out of context, it might seem shocking but it was in a silly entertainment context." While marijuana for medical reasons is permitted in California, those found to be in possession of a small amount of the drug face a misdemeanor charge and a maximum $100 fine.

Actress Jane Seymour is refusing to consider arsonists sparked the wildfires that raged through Malibu, California last week - because she doesn't like to think someone was to blame for the tragedy. Seymour was evacuated from her home for four days and spent every waking hour fearing that her home would be the next to be destroyed by flames. But, now she's back home - surrounded by her artwork, photographs and memorabilia, Seymour chooses to believe the fires were an act of God. She says, "I was just so incredibly thrilled to be able to come back home. It's inconceivable to me that anyone would go out of their way to make that (fire) happen. Don't even go there." The actress insists her near-death experiences have helped her deal with life's disasters: "I've had the privilege of having three near-death experiences, so I think when you've been very close to not being here at all, you realize that material things ultimately really don't matter."

American TV star Gary Collins has been charged with drunk-driving following his arrest in Los Angeles last week. The 69-year-old was driving his black Ford Explorer through Sherman Oaks when he crashed into a blue Toyota on October 23. The collision caused Collins to lose control and career into oncoming traffic, where he smashed into two parked cars. He was booked into Van Nuys Jail and was later released on $40,000 bail. The Los Angeles City Attorney has now decided to charge Collins with Dui and driving with a blood alcohol level above .08. If convicted, he could face a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. Collins was arrested in Mississippi in 2002 for DUI, but was found not guilty of the charges.

The daughters of late country music legend Johnny Cash have launched an investigation into why they never received royalties from his hit, "Ring Of Fire." Rosanne Cash and her sisters Kathleen, Cindy and Tara - daughters by Cash's first wife, Vivian - claim not to have received money - estimated to be millions of dollars - from publishing rights to the song, and have hired California lawyer Eric Bjorgum, an intellectual property expert, to investigate the matter. Bjorgum tells New York Daily News, "His only son (John) has received the lion's share (from "Ring of Fire")". John Cash is the music legend's only child by June Carter Cash. Cash and June Carter Cash are said to have shared the copyright on Ring of Fire with songwriter Merle Kilgore. In her book I Walked The Line, Vivian Cash writes Johnny told her, "I'm going to give June half credit on a song I just wrote called 'Ring of Fire.' When she asked why, he answered, 'She needs the money and I feel sorry for her.'" A lawyer for the Cash estate tells fancast.com, "We find it noteworthy that their authorship has been unchallenged for over 40 years, and was only questioned after the deaths of Kilgore and the Cashes." Cash died in 2003 after suffering complications from diabetes.

Britney Spears is "furious" her ex-husband Kevin Federline has not been required to undergo a drugs test in their ongoing custody battle, according to reports. Spears lost physical custody of her sons - Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one - earlier this month, after reportedly ignoring a string of court-imposed demands and skipping mandatory drug tests. The troubled pop superstar was ordered to submit to random drug tests at an earlier court hearing, after being branded a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon. But Spears, 25, is angered by the apparent preferential treatment the court has shown towards dancer Federline. A close pal tells British newspaper The Sun, "She is furious. She believes the court is more sympathetic towards Kevin."

Country music icon Porter Wagoner has died. He was 80. The star passed away at an Alive Hospice facility in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday after a battle with lung cancer. The Grand Ole Opry inductee, who famously discovered Dolly Parton, was admitted to the hospital on October 15 after falling seriously ill. Wagoner, who almost died in July 2006 after suffering a stomach aneurysm, enjoyed a lengthy career spanning 56 years in the music industry. The Missouri-born star signed his first record deal with Rca Records in 1955, and he joined the Opry in 1957 - where he went on to celebrate his 50th year at the venue in May 2007. His partnership with Parton began in 1967, when he introduced the then-21-year-old to his TV audience on The Porter Wagoner Show. Throughout his career, Wagoner garnered various accolades for his work with Parton as well as his solo successes, and was honored with three Grammys, an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and numerous Country Music Association awards. Fellow country star and Opry member Dierks Bentley led the tributes to Wagoner, saying: "The loss of Porter is a great loss for the Grand Ole Opry and for country music, and personally it is a great loss of a friend I was really just getting to know. I feel blessed for the time I had with him." Pete Fisher, vice president and general manager of the Opry, also expressed his sadness at Wagoner's death. He adds, "His passion for the Opry and all of country music was truly immeasurable."

Adrian Pasdar was so angered when a stranger made a rude remark about his Dixie Chicks star wife Natalie Maines, he knocked the man to the ground. The Heroes actor was wearing a "Free Natalie Maines" T-shirt, in the aftermath of the singer's anti-war comments in 2003, when the incident occurred in a supermarket. Pasdar says, "This big guy said, 'F**k your wife, ' as he passed me, and I couldn't help myself. I pushed him back into a rack of Tootsie Rolls, and he fell down. I'm not proud of that, but I'd do it again in a minute. There's a real hurt when you see somebody getting so attacked by the media so viciously for something that was so innocuous initially. It destroyed their career for a while. With Nat, it was just one of those things where you reconvene every night and support each other. It was difficult. We went through arguments about it. I can't say it was one big love fest. There were some differences of opinion on how to handle what happened." Maines prompted a barrage of death threats when she told a London audience she was ashamed to come from the same state - Texas - as U.S. President George W. Bush.

Justin Timberlake has donated $100,000 to an Australian wildlife fund, paying tribute to deceased crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. The pop superstar is currently touring Australia on the latest leg of his FutureSex/LoveShow tour. And during a concert in Brisbane on Saturday evening, he announced plans to give $100,000 to a scheme set-up by Irwin. Timberlake had been given a guided tour of the facility in Queensland by Irwin on a previous tour, prompting the generous gesture. He told the crowd, "When I came here last time, it really hit me...I said to myself: 'What can I do?' So what I did was 50 cents from every ticket sold on the Australian tour goes to Wildlife Warriors." Irwin was killed in 2006, when a stingray pierced his heart.