R. Kelly trial ends in acquittal

CHICAGO - Singer R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges yesterday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.

Kelly dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict - not guilty on all 14 counts - was read. The Grammy Award winner faced 15 years in prison if convicted.

Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV.

Prosecutors had argued that a videotape mailed to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002 showed Kelly engaged in graphic sex acts with a girl as young as 13 at the time.

Both Kelly, 41, and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones on the tape. Neither testified during the trial.

The prosecution's star witness was a woman who said she engaged in sex with Kelly and the alleged victim. Defense attorneys argued the man on the tape didn't have a large mole on his back; Kelly has such a mole. (AP)

Katherine Heigl won't be chewing her manicure at this year's Emmy ceremony: She says she didn't seek a nomination because "Grey's Anatomy" failed to deliver the goods for an award-worthy performance. Heigl, honored as best supporting actress in a drama last year for the ABC series, declined to put her name in consideration for a bid. "I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization" decided against competing, Heigl said in a written statement this week provided by her publicist, Melissa Kates. (AP)

Former President Bill Clinton was among those saluting Warren Beatty as the Oscar-winning actor-director received a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute. "Over all these decades, you have shared with us, as moviegoers, this insatiable hunger for life," Clinton said during Thursday night's ceremony at the Kodak Theatre. "That's what I think about when I think of you." Stars such as Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Diane Keaton, Quentin Tarantino, and Halle Berry were on hand for the celebration marking Beatty's 47-year career as an actor, writer, director, and producer, as were George McGovern, Gary Hart, and Jerry Brown. (AP)

Documents filed Thursday in Los Angeles show that actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe have resolved the remaining issues of their divorce. Exact details weren't filed, though the pair had indicated they wanted joint custody of their children, ages 8 and 4. They opted for an uncontested divorce, which kept many of its particulars private. Their publicists did not immediately return phone calls yesterday. (AP)

Pop star Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone has written a memoir called "Life With My Sister Madonna," to be published next month by Simon and Schuster. "Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his life and 47 years of growing up with and working with his sister - the most famous woman in the world," Simon and Schuster imprint Simon Spotlight Entertainment said. (Reuters)

"We've only given it a try 800 times - 801, here we go."-- Rocker Tommy Lee, on rekindling things with ex-wife Pamela Anderson