R. Kelly Maintains Ignorance of South Africa Scam

R. Kelly John Shearer/Getty Images

If there's anyone who needs to watch his step these days, it's R. Kelly.

The R&B star, who was acquitted of child pornography charges in June, has denied any knowledge of a fraud scam allegedly wrought by a South African woman who's said to have bilked at least $130,000 from investors under the guise of raising funds for an R. Kelly concert in 2005.

She then deposited the money into the singer's bank account, according to police, who say that they found a deposit slip in her office proving the transaction took place and have confirmed that the account belongs to the Grammy winner, whose full name is Robert Kelly.

Authorities said they're looking to question him—and Kelly's looking to answer.

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Ellen DeGeneres Joins Call to End Cancer

Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, Ellen DeGeneres AP Photo / Dan Steinberg, Sharkpixs / Zuma Press, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com
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The upcoming Stand Up to Cancer benefit is beginning to look like the Oscars, the Emmys and the Grammys rolled into one.

I just got word that newlywed Ellen DeGeneres has signed on to work the phonebank during the live telecast of the fundraiser on Sept. 5.

The talk-show pooh-bah isn't the only new name added to the roster...

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Trump on Biden: "Unusual Choice"

Hayden Panettiere, Donald Trump Eric Charbonneau for Nakheel /AP Photo
More from Marc Malkin

If Donald Trump has decided who he's going to support for president, he isn't saying.

However, he does have at least one thing to say about Barack Obama picking Joe Biden as his running mate.

"It was an unusual choice," Trump told me last night about Biden at the Los Angeles-area gala to celebrate the Trump International Hotel & Tower, his new gazillionaire building in Dubai. "But I wish them luck."

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Trump Misses Out on McMahon's Money Pit

Donald Trump, Ed McMahon Jae C. Hong, Tammie Arroyo / AP Images

The Donald couldn't corner the market on this one.

Ed McMahon has finally unloaded his Beverly Hills home for an undisclosed amount—but, his rep confirms to E! News, the buyer was not Donald Trump, who had expressed interest in taking the multimillion-dollar estate off of McMahon's financially strapped hands.

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Trump Not the Only One After McMahon's House

Donald Trump, Ed McMahon Jae C. Hong, Tammie Arroyo / AP Images

Hey-ooo! Ed McMahon isn't ready to be indebted to Donald Trump just yet.

It turns out that the uniquely coiffed real estate developer isn't the only potential buyer when it comes to the soon-to-be-foreclosed-upon McMahonsion.

The former Tonight Show sidekick's listing agent, who flew to New York to pitch the deal to Trump in person, now tells the Los Angeles Times' real estate blog that there is a "multiple-offer situation."

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Jessica Simpson Gets Her Brewski On

Jessica Simpson, Stampede Light, Beer Michael Caulfield / Getty Images / stampedebeer.com

There's only one pairing more natural than beer ads and buxom blondes, and that's Jessica Simpson and Texas.

The marketing geniuses over at Dallas' Stampede Brewing Co. brought the foursome together, bagging the country (née pop) star as their newest spokeswoman.

While the full financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Simpson will receive a 15 percent stake in the brewery in addition to appearing in ads for Stampede Light Plus.

As the name suggests, it is a light beer aimed at imbibers with an active lifestyle. A girl's gotta keep her figure somehow.

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Britney Owes Big Money for Custody Battle

Britney Spears Maciel-MBF/X17online.com

Who said getting back on track was cheap?

Stacy Phillips, one of the shorter-term members of Britney Spears' legal team, has let it be known that shoring up one's defenses can be downright bank-breaking.

According to a declaration filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the "Sometimes I Run" songstress owes $338,414.87 to Phillips for $700-an-hour services rendered between March and June—and there are rumors of a lawsuit in the works, because Spears' camp is objecting to the hefty sum. (View court documents.)

But that's a discount, says the attorney, who states that the tab includes "time already deducted as a courtesy," time "written off" and $75,000 that she expects to get next month. (A court commissioner earmarked that sum for Phillips in April while poring over Spears' bills.)

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Phil Collins Trumps Paul McCartney in Mega-Divorce

Phil Collins, Orianne Cevey AP Photo/ Keystone, Urs Flueeler

Phil Collins' ex-wife may no longer be in his heart, but she'll definitely always have a place in his bank account.

The easy-rocking star has waved good-bye to marriage No. 3 and hello to a reported $46.68 million divorce settlement which, if accurate, shapes up to be the biggest ever celeb payout in British legal history, trumping even the astronomical amount Heather Mills received—said to be $45.37 million—from Paul McCartney earlier this year.

Collins, 57, and Orianne Cevey, 35, were married for seven years before separating in 2006. They have two children together, sons Nicolas, 8, and Matthew, 4.

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Ed McMahon's New Landlord: Donald Trump!

Donald Trump, Ed McMahon Jae C. Hong, Tammie Arroyo / AP Images

Ed McMahon's Beverly Hills home is about to become one of the best houses in the world.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Donald Trump, he of the gold-plated everything, has agreed to buy McMahon's mansion so that the financially strapped TV icon can avoid foreclosure and continue to live there.

And they aren't even golf buddies!

"I don't know the man, but I grew up watching him on TV," Trump said Thursday. Helping him would "be an honor."

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Vanessa Hudgens Courted for Her Money

Vanessa Hudgens Patricia Schlein/WENN

Vanessa Hudgens is having a lot of trouble losing her old entourage.

For the second time in the past 12 months, the High School Musical star has been sued by a former business associate who says she has been flaky with her royalty payments since giving him the boot. (View the lawsuit.)

Per documents filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Hudgens entered into a court-approved "production agreement" with Johnny Viera's Johnny on the Spot Productions that required her to share advances, royalties and merchandising revenue (everything, really) in exchange for his career-launching services.

Viera charges that, after Hudgens landed her HSM gig, she dumped her old talent team, including Viera, even after she had presented him with a photograph of her signed, "Johnny, thank you for everything, without you, I would be nowhere. We will make it BIG…Vanessa Hudgens." And at the bottom of the picture, she wrote, "*Sweet!*"

Is nothing sacred these days?

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Allman Brothers Band Suing Mad Over Royalties

Greg Allman AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

The Allman Brothers Band claims that when their music went high tech, they got lowballed.

Several members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-caliber group have sued their longtime record company, Universal Music Group, for more than $10 million over disputed royalties from CD and digital download sales.

Current mates Greg Allman, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, Butch Trucks and founding member Dickey Betts say that they have never received their proper due from sales of signature tunes such as "Ramblin' Man" and "Midnight Rider."

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Another Bill Collector After Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon AP Photo / Tammie Arroyo

The third time is not the charm for Ed McMahon.

The former Tonight Show sidekick was hit with his third debt-related lawsuit of the summer today, this one filed by a SoCal lending firm that says McMahon owes more than $275,000 on a 2006 loan.

Westmoore Lending of Huntington Beach claims McMahon and his wife, Pamela, defaulted on the loan early last year.

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THE BIG PIC

Mixed Feelings Judging by their opposite body language, this relationship could be one-sided. Careful, Adrian!

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