Actor Ryan Phillippe has sparked reports of a romance with Australian star Abbie Cornish, after they were spotted out and about in Los Angeles recently. The couple was alleged to have had a brief fling while co-starring in the forthcoming Stop Loss while Phillippe was still married to Legally Blonde beauty Reese Witherspoon - a claim both parties have denied. But according to the New York Daily News, the pair have now become more than just friends. A close pal says, "They are a real couple. (The relationship) has really grown. She's spending time with his kids (Ava, eight, and Deacon, four) - it's not like she's on the side. She's part of the family." And Phillippe's children appear to have warmed to Cornish, after they were snapped Christmas shopping together last weekend. A witness tells Us Weekly magazine, "Ava seemed very comfortable with Abbie. Ava picked a wreath, and Abbie put it around her head as a joke. They both were laughing." Another source adds, "Going out together and leaking a few photos is their discreet way of letting the public know it's official. It's not like you can send out a press release about these things."

Kiefer Sutherland has begun his jail sentence for a drunk-driving conviction after surrendering to Los Angeles police on Wednesday. The actor was scheduled to turn himself in on December 21 when hit show 24 was on a scheduled hiatus, but as the current writers' strike in Hollywood had stalled filming on the series, he made the decision to check in earlier. The star will serve 48 days at the private Glendale City Jail, spending Christmas, New Year and his birthday on December 21 inside. Sutherland was handed the sentence after he was caught driving under the influence in September. He will wear a standard-issue orange jumpsuit for the duration of his stay in the 48-cell facility, and came equipped with reading material and underwear when he booked, reports Tmz.com. Randy Adams, Glendale Police Chief, insists Sutherland will not be subject to special treatment during his stay - and will be expected to perform laundry and kitchen duties like the other inmates. He says, "The fact that he's a celebrity - he checked that at the door when he checked in." Adams adds Sutherland was "co-operative" during the booking. Sutherland will not share a cell at the facility, as it is standard procedure for "long term" inmates to have their own accommodation, and the actor will serve the 48 days of his sentence consecutively. Earlier in the day, Judge Stuart M. Rice also sentenced Sutherland to five years probation, and insisted the star must complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend weekly therapy sessions for six months.

Actor Ray Liotta has been placed on three years' probation after pleading no contest to reckless driving. The Goodfellas star admitted he was at fault in a Los Angeles court on Thursday. The 52-year-old was arrested in February after his car struck two parked vehicles on a Los Angeles street - police reports suggest he was under the influence of prescription medication. Liotta was also fined $300 and ordered to pay compensation to the owners of the two cars he drove into. He must also enroll in an alcohol education class.

Hollywood icons John Wayne and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were inducted into the California Hall of Fame on Wednesday in celebration of their ties to the U.S. state. The Hall of Fame was launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver in 2006 in collaboration with The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts to honor individuals who have made their mark on history. Baseball players Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays were also inducted into the Hall of Fame this week. But some of California's most famed inhabitants, like Marilyn Monroe, have yet to be presented with the accolade. Defending the list of inductees, Schwarzenegger says, "It is very, very hard because we have so many great talents in California." The event at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento lured all of the living inductees to attend except Taylor, 75, who failed to show up at the last minute. Many of those honored on Wednesday spent only part of their lives in the Golden State, such as London-born Taylor and the late Robinson, the first African-American player in Major League Baseball, who hailed from Georgia. Californian natives inducted this year included author John Steinbeck; Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, golf superstar Tiger Woods and photographer Ansel Adams.

Double Jeopardy star Ashley Judd survived a potentially fatal bout of appendicitis because she was filming in a hospital when she fell ill. The actress was shooting new movie Helen in Vancouver, Canada when an acute attack of the illness led to a collapse on set at Ridge Meadows Hospital on November 25. Judd was immediately admitted to the same medical centre and underwent emergency surgery to remove her diseased appendix. A source tells the National Enquirer, "Luckily, the cast and crew were filming at a real hospital, so when paramedics arrived, they simply put Ashley on a stretcher and wheeled her into an operating room nearby." While Judd recovers, production on Helen has been halted.

The woman who tried to sue Colin Farrell for sexual harassment has been arrested for prostitution. Dessarae Bradford launched and lost a legal battle with the Irish actor in 2005, claiming he pestered her with text messages. She later burst onto the set of The Tonight Show while Farrell was being interviewed by Jay Leno. Now Bradford is challenging a Los Angeles police officer who arrested her in an undercover sting. She explains, "I was falsely arrested for prostitution - it breaks my heart to even type the words down. A guy drove up to me, called to me very friendly and chipper. Being the social animal that I am, I went over, figuring he was just some guy looking for where the party spots are. Or maybe he wanted to see if he could get my number." In a forthcoming lawsuit, Bradford reveals she plans to sue for sexism, ageism, racism, civil rights violations, profiling, entrapment, slander, libel, emotional distress "and much more."

Actor Gary Collins has been sentenced to 96 hours in jail and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to drunk-driving. The TV star has also been placed on probation for four years and fined $500. A Los Angeles judge told Collins he can serve his time at any Los Angeles-area jail, but his stay will be at his own expense. Collins was arrested after crashing his black Ford Explorer into a blue Toyota while driving through Sherman Oaks, California in October. The collision caused the actor to lose control and steer into oncoming traffic, where he smashed into two parked cars. The 69-year-old checked into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility shortly after his arrest.

Actresses Rosario Dawson and Anne Hathaway have pledged their support to Jennifer Love Hewitt after she hit out at the media for criticizing bikini photographs showing her in an unflattering light. Hewitt was snapped in her black two-piece swimsuit last month as she enjoyed a dip in the sea - but the Ghost Whisperer star's voluptuous bottom soon became the subject of ridicule on many celebrity blogs. The 28-year-old then posted a message on her own website saying she is content with her figure, but is unhappy that comments on her weight will put young girls under more pressure to diet. And Sin City star Dawson couldn't agree more, telling People.com, "They'll make a whole story about it if someone gains five pounds. I think there is a huge obsession with size-zero jeans, and it's just really scary. It makes me really nervous, because I don't know how in the world we're supposed to be that thin unless we're totally starving and drugging up." Hathaway adds, "I don't think women should only be defined by their bodies and their weight. It's a cycle we've been in for some time, and I don't really like it."

Amy Winehouse has stunned the media with another display of erratic behavior - the singer was pictured with white powder inside her nose after turning her car into a public changing room. The British star emerged from her London home on Wednesday night with a clearly-visible white residue, believed to be cocaine, inside her nostrils and climbed into an awaiting car. Once inside the vehicle, Winehouse then proceeded to change her trousers - in full view of photographers. Earlier on Wednesday, the singer had denied reports she is using drugs, after photos of a "bag of white stuff" in the boot (trunk) of her car emerged. In a statement, Winehouse explained the contents of the bag were "the driver's hand towels." Doctors recently ordered the 24-year-old to cancel the remaining dates on her U.K. tour and withdraw from any promotional commitments until the beginning of 2008 - to allow her to "take complete rest and deal with her health issues."

Madonna will name her final Warner Bros studio album Licorice, according to reports. The pop superstar's broadcaster pal Larry Flick broke the news on his Sirius Satellite Radio show OutQ on Thursday, and played two new tracks, "Candy Shop" and "The Beat Goes On," which were briefly leaked online earlier this year. Reports suggest Madonna previewed the album in recent days for Warner Bros staff members in New York. "The Beat Goes On" is said to feature both Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Madonna will part company with Warner Bros once the album is released in the spring of 2008 and embark on a new initiative with concert promoter Live Nation. The 10-year deal encompasses all of Madonna's future music and music-related businesses.