Spears loses gag order bid

February 20, 2008

A Superior Court commissioner denied a request yesterday by Britney Spears's divorce attorney to issue a gag order in the pop star's child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Attorney Anne Kiley argued that media coverage was "emotionally and physically" dangerous to the 26-year-old pop star. Kiley said the court should prohibit attorneys from discussing the case with the media and not publish dates and times of hearings and dispositions. Spears, who is under conservatorship, and Federline weren't present for the hearing before Commissioner Scott Gordon, who is overseeing their dispute. Spears hasn't been allowed to see sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, since an incident at her home that led to the first of her two hospitalizations in a psychiatric facility this year and a decision by another court to put her father, James Spears, in charge of her affairs. (AP)

A Las Vegas man plans to unveil what he says is a rare photo of Marilyn Monroe posing as a nude hitchhiker. A news conference is scheduled today. Lawrence Nicastro says he found the photo last year while going through storage items at his Las Vegas home. (AP)

To conquer his fear of heights, "Good Morning America" host Chris Cuomo jumped from the roof of an Atlantic City casino yesterday. As part of the ABC morning show's series about overcoming fears, Cuomo and stunt coordinator Joni Avery (left) used cables to zip nearly 40 stories down the side of the Trump Taj Mahal. (AP)

U2 has hit the studio in Dublin to continue work on its next studio album with longtime collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. "We're going to try and break new sonic ground and deliver a masterpiece," Lanois said. "The sleeves are rolled up. Bono is all charged up with a lyrical angle." (BILLBOARD)

Singer Pink and motocross racer Carey Hart have separated after two years of marriage. Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, met Hart at the 2001 X Games in Las Vegas and proposed to him four years later at a race in California. They were married Jan. 7, 2006. (AP)

‘He’s the next Justin Timberlake!’ -- Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice, gushing about the dancing abilities of her 3-year-old son, Cruz, who joined the Spice Girls onstage at their Madison Square Garden show and started breakdancing.