Spielberg pulls out of Beijing Olympics

Steven Spielberg withdrew yesterday as an artistic adviser for the Beijing Olympics. The Oscar-winning filmmaker made the decision hours after actress Mia Farrow and several humanitarian groups assailed him for working with the games' Chinese organizers. At issue is China's close relationship with Sudan, where thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the Darfur region. China buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports and sells weapons to the Sudanese government. Spielberg had sent a letter urging President Hu Jintao to use China's influence during the Olympics to help the situation in Darfur. "I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual," Spielberg said yesterday in a statement. Earlier yesterday, nine Nobel Peace Prize laureates - including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Elie Wiesel, and Jody Williams - sent a letter to Hu, urging China to uphold Olympic ideals by pressing Sudan to stop atrocities in Darfur. (Wire services )

A screenwriter has sued Mel Gibson and his production company, claiming he was misled into accepting a small payment for writing "The Passion of the Christ" and was refused extra money when the film became a blockbuster. Benedict Fitzgerald claims that when he was asked to write the script, Gibson told him the movie would cost between $4 million to $7 million. He said he agreed to "a salary substantially less than what he would have taken had he known the true budget for the film," which the lawsuit claimed had an estimated budget of $25 million to $50 million. (AP)

Paris Hilton's younger brother, Barron, was arrested yesterday for allegedly driving under the influence. He was held at the Malibu station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. As word of his arrest spread, nearly a dozen paparazzi swarmed the sheriff's station. (AP)

"The only thing that's a little bit annoying is I feel that I come off kind of boring sometimes." - Actress Natalie Portman, talking to W magazine about her public image