Celebrity and Movies Year in Review for 2005  12/30/05

By Graham Smith and Ian Garland

The lifestyles of the rich and famous continued to enthrall entertainment news fans across the globe throughout 2005. Whether reporting on the latest romantic wrangle between a celebrity couple, or following one of many sensational legal stories, WENN writers were at the forefront.

It immediately became clear in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami that, whatever else may be happening in the showbiz world, celebrities are nothing if not generous. Again, later in the year, the desire to help was evident in the response to Hurricane Katrina.

There were numerous high-profile weddings this year: British royal Prince Charles, Renee Zellweger, Matt Damon all tied the knot in 2005, while Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner married each other. As some unions were never meant to last, following these love lives made for a white-knuckle ride.

Sadly, a number of legends passed away too. Richard Pryor, Johnny Carson, Arthur Miller, Hunter S Thompson and Pope John Paul II all left this world and are already sadly missed.

Elsewhere, the lives of some Hollywood folk never left the front pages. Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Jude Law and Jessica Simpson all seemed to exist in the spotlight, whether they wanted to or not.

Anyway, 2005 was certainly an action-packed year. So take the time to stroll down memory lane with us.

JANUARY

The year began on a somber note with many of Hollywood's biggest names vowing to help the relief effort following the devastating tsunami in southeast Asia on 26 December 2004, in which more than 200,000 people died in over 13 countries.

Within days of the disaster, compassionate Sandra Bullock handed over $1 million to the American Red Cross, while generous director Steven Spielberg donated $1.5 million to be split between charities Care, Save The Children and Oxfam. Jet Li was caught up in the tsunami, when holidaying in the Maldives with his family and donated $158,000 to the tsunami relief fund.

On a lighter note, director Martin Scorsese and his actor protégé Leonardo DiCaprio were both honored with France's most prestigious cultural awards on 5 January. Scorsese was presented with the Legion of Honor (Legion D'Honneur) at the annual ceremony in Paris. The title was in recognition of his contribution to cinema. DiCaprio, Scorsese's collaborator on Gangs Of New York and The Aviator, was named Commander Of The Order Of The Arts And Letters (Chevalier Des Arts Et Lettres).

Clint Eastwood beat Scorsese at the Directors Guild Awards (DGA), claiming the Best Picture prize for Million Dollar Baby. Other directors recognized by the Guild jury were Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, whose Story Of The Weeping Camel earned them the Documentary prize; Walter Hill, who claimed the honor of Best Dramatic Series for TV western series Deadwood; and Tim Van Patten, who was honored in the Best Comedy Series category for Sex And The City.

Animated movie sequel Shrek 2 swept the boards at the 31st Annual People's Choice Awards, with five wins. The film collected gongs for Favorite Movie Drama, Favorite Movie Comedy, Favorite Animated Movie, Favorite Sequel, Favorite Animated Movie Star and Favorite Villain Movie Star. Fahrenheit 9/11 shocked viewers by claiming the Favorite Motion Picture award - despite attacking US President George W Bush - while Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ won the Favorite Movie Drama prize.

British royal Prince Harry was forced to apologize after he was photographed dressed as a Nazi youth at a birthday party, just weeks before the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Harry had attended the fancy dress party wearing the swastika and desert uniform worn by German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps during World War II.

Spider-Man creator Stan Lee won a court battle against Marvel comics entitling him to millions of dollars in royalties. Lee, who created the superhero in 1962, was awarded 10 per cent of Marvel's profits from 2002 blockbuster Spider-Man and its 2004 sequel Spider-Man 2. The films made $1.6 billion at the international box office.

An Australian court granted Nicole Kidman a restraining order against two photographers she claimed left her afraid to leave her Sydney home. Kidman finally decided to take legal action against photographers Jamie Fawcett and Ben McDonald following a high speed car chase and the discovery of a listening device outside her mansion.

Barbershop star Anthony Anderson was a relieved man after Tennessee prosecutors decided not to pursue rape charges against him. The 34-year-old actor, along with film director Wayne Witherspoon, 43, stood accused of attacking a 25-year-old female extra in summer 2004 on the set of the Sundance Film Festival success Hustle & Flow.

January was the month when Hollywood golden couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announced they'd officially split after four and a half years of marriage, following months of media speculation. Before the year was out Pitt was openly romancing Angelina Jolie, while Aniston got together with her The Break Up co-star Vince Vaughn.

Desperate Housewives star Nicolette Sheridan entered 2005 as a wife-to-be after accepting her Swedish-born boyfriend Niklas Soderblom's proposal on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, the couple ended up going their separate ways in October.

Another seasonal engagement was announced just days into the new year, when it became public knowledge that Sienna Miller had accepted Jude Law's romantic Christmas Day proposal. Although the couple split for a while later in the year, after Law admitted he'd had an affair with his children's nanny Daisy Wright, the Alfie co-stars were back together as 2005 neared its end.

Meanwhile, French actress Beatrice Dalle married a prison inmate in a secret ceremony in her native town of Brest, Brittany. The Betty Blue beauty wed convict Guenael Meziani at the Hermitage Prison's visiting room.

In mid-January it emerged that former X-Files star Gillian Anderson was a married woman, after quietly tying-the-knot with her film-maker boyfriend Julian Ozanne in Africa. The couple had exchanged vows in a civil ceremony on 29 December on Lamu's Shella island, off Kenya's Indian Ocean coast.

Ben Kingsley split up with his wife of 15 months, Alexandra Christmann, when a German newspaper published a picture of her kissing another man. Kingsley ended up divorcing Christmann in October. He said, "It's very difficult for a man to learn on the internet that his wife has a boyfriend."

Harry Potter author JK Rowling was celebrating, when she gave birth to a girl, her third child with husband Dr Neil Murray.

January saw the passing of The Rocketeer star William Boyett, 77; Bollywood superstar Amrish Puri, 72; Hollywood actress Virginia Mayo, 84; Citizen Kane star Ruth Warrick, 89; another Bollywood star, Parveen Babi, 50; French comic actor Jacques Villeret, 53; and legendary US talk show host Johnny Carson, 79.

FEBRUARY

February in Tinsel town means new outfits, dripping jewelry and statuettes - but the Academy Awards wasn't the only headline-grabbing event in the month of 28 days, St Valentine and pancakes.

A number of movie rumors emerged this month, including mooted biopics of Donald Trump, soccer star Maradona and Egyptian queen Neftiti (played by Halle Berry); a fourth Die Hard film and a sequel to 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Russell Crowe pulled out of movie Eucalyptus in protest to a full-frontal nude scene; Liam Neeson turned down the chance to play James Bond and director Matthew Vaughn rejected the offer to helm the next 007 film.

Bond fans were given a taster of the super spy's 2006 comeback with news the next 007 film will be a remake of the first Sir Ian Fleming novel Casino Royale. We were also told Martin Campbell would direct. Fans had to wait another eight months before the identity of Pierce Brosnan's successor was revealed.

Elsewhere, Sideways was the big movie hit of early 2005 picking up accolades and plaudits. It won the Outstanding Ensemble Award at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards - and was such a success wine sales rocketed.

February went out with a big bang; with two big movie award ceremonies to toast the cream of Hollywood. First came the BAFTAs - which was dominated by Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Jamie Foxx, Imelda Staunton and Mike Leigh in the big categories.

It was all change two weeks later - only Foxx picked up the same gong at the Oscars. This time it was all about Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, which won the Best Picture award, the Best Director prize for Eastwood and gongs for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor for Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman respectively. Foxx won Best Actor and Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress.

Halle Berry, meanwhile, almost cleared the board at the Golden Raspberry Awards - the anti-Oscars - picking up five Razzies.

Elsewhere, Trekkies wept onto their limited edition Star Trek pillows in February when the latest installment Star Trek: Enterprise was axed. Another TV show bowed out - the final scenes of award-winning comedy Everybody Loves Raymond were shot on the 9th.

Paris Hilton - who has been barely out of the papers all year - got in trouble for stealing a copy of her own sex tape from a Los Angeles newsstand. Charges were later dropped. The hotel heiress got in more bother when her mobile phone was hacked into and the numbers of all her celebrity pals leaked to the public.

We also found out 70s porn sensation Deep Throat would be re-released; Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross is most definitely not gay - despite persistent rumors; Sylvester Stallone launched a magazine aimed at middle-aged men with a youthful outlook on life - called Sly; a nude portrait of supermodel Kate Moss painted by artist Lucian Freud was sold at auction for $6.65 million (#3.5 million).

Russell Crowe caused a storm by criticizing Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford for endorsing products in advertisements. George Clooney - another advertising actor - hit back and the pair bickered for weeks through the press.

Elsewhere, Pitt denied a fling with model April Florio; The A-Team star Mr T found a new job preaching Bible sermons on American TV and British-born Jane Seymour became an American citizen.

February was a sticky legal month for actor Tom Sizemore who was jailed briefly by a judge who claimed his drug problem was "out of control", after Sizemore violated probation by failing a drug test.

Gerard Depardieu also got in hot water for taking money from a fugitive Algerian businessman to attend a soccer match.

Trouble was stirring for pop superstar Michael Jackson - ahead of his trial on child molestation charges, teen stars Macaulay Culkin and Corey Feldman were lined up as prosecution and defence witness respectively. Feldman expressed concern in the press about his childhood friendship with the singer.

Comedian Bill Cosby discovered he wouldn't face charges stemming from claims he fondled a woman and Anna Nicole Smith lost her latest attempt to get her hands on the money left for her by late husband J Howard Marshall.

The month of love, it's only fitting February was crammed with love matches... and a fair share of dispatches. We discovered Britain's Prince Charles would marry long-term partner Camilla Parker Bowles in April. Also planning a trip to church were Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman, who announced their engagement.

Our news hounds also predicted that sweethearts Kelly Brook and Billy Zane; Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher; and Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz would soon be newlyweds. As the year neared its close, one out of three had been proven correct.

Elsewhere, Cupid was also reportedly on target for Matt Dillon and The Apprentice reality TV star Tara Dowell; Vince Vaughn and the freshly-single Jennifer Aniston, although they spent much of 2005 denying they were romantically involved; Sharon Stone and news executive Eason Jordan; Renee Zellweger and Damien Rice - she has since married and divorced someone else; Tom Cruise and Latin stunner Sophia Vergara.

There was good news for Nicolas Cage and his wife Alice Kim, and Ben Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor - both couples announced pregnancies in February.

But there were just as many falling out of love. Following Pitt and Aniston's split, Christian Slater and his wife Ryan Haddon filed for divorce. Designer super couple Dolce & Gabbana also ended their personal relationship. Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth split early in February. But fans of the British heartthrob didn't have long to catch his eye - the pair were back together before summer was out.

James Gandolfini and his lover Lora Somoza ended their engagement, and Heather Graham also split with actor Josh Lucas after just three months.

Emergency rooms were kept busy in February with a spate of illnesses. Lindsay Lohan was hospitalized suffering chest pains and diagnosed with bronchitis. There were similar problems for Bernie Mac who was diagnosed with respiratory disease sarcoidosis, which restricts oxygen from the lungs and can lead to heart attacks.

Later in the month, Matthew Perry was rushed to hospital suffering a series of severe drug-induced seizures - a reaction to prescription drugs. Dame Elizabeth Taylor is, however, very much alive - despite reports at the time claiming she was close to death.

We lost two cultural icons in February. Legendary playwright, and ex-husband of Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller died on 10 February aged 89 after a battle with pneumonia, cancer and a heart condition. Just ten days later, writer and journalist Hunter S Thompson committed suicide at his home in Colorado. He was 67. Thompson is most famous for writing books Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, which was turned into a movie starring Johnny Depp.

MARCH

The month began with a whole host of post-Oscars stories. Firstly, it emerged how Cate Blanchett kept her cool when her Best Supporting Actress statuette went missing at Vanity Fair's Academy Awards after-party. The missing statuette mysteriously re-appeared at 2am when the bash began to wind down.

Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein branded Martin Scorsese's Academy Award snub "ridiculous". Scorsese has never won the Best Director statuette despite being nominated on five occasions. Weinstein said, "I've won Best Picture and Best Director with lesser movies."

Meanwhile, Melanie Griffith came clean about how she really smashed her foot after claiming she'd fallen while attempting to climb Mount Everest. The Working Girl actress eventually explained, "I got mad and kicked a door and I broke my foot."

In the news, boxer and convicted rapist Mike Tyson sparked fury in Italy after promoters invited him to a musical festival as a special guest; Martha Stewart celebrated her release from prison with the announcement her defunct US TV show Martha Stewart Living had received three Daytime Emmy nominations. The lifestyle queen was jailed for five months in 2004 for stocks fraud.

Following the suicide of Hunter S Thompson, it emerged the writer left a type-written suicide note containing just the word "counselor". According to a sheriff's report Thompson - who shot himself - was found seated at a chair in the kitchen of his Woody Creek, Colorado, compound with a typewriter in front of him containing a single piece of paper with the word on it.

Natalie Portman issued an apology for filming a kissing scene in the shadow of Jerusalem, Israel's Western Wall. The Israeli-born actress stirred up controversy by kissing actor Aki Avni for their movie Free Zone near the holy prayer site. Portman, Avni and the film's crew were escorted from the religious site by local police after Jewish bystanders took offence and started shouting at the pair.

Squeaky clean Lindsay Lohan confessed she once smoked marijuana, despite insisting she was anti-drugs in 2004, and Tom Cruise escaped unharmed when he crashed his brand new turbo-charged Ducati motorcycle in Beverly Hills, California, after skidding on a patch of oil. Cruise ended up sprawled on the road but was able to give concerned onlookers autographs before re-mounting his mean machine.

Elsewhere, Kiefer Sutherland turned into a hero on the set of hit TV drama 24, when he gave a crew member who suffered a heart attack CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation).

And Russell Crowe's rock band 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts split this month, after a message from the actor appeared on a number of fan websites. Crowe also revealed he'd been stunned to discover he was a kidnap target for terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) warned Crowe and a number of other stars prior to the 2001 Academy Awards that Osama Bin Laden wanted to kidnap them - nine months before Bin Laden spearheaded the 11th September attacks on New York and Washington DC.

Carrie Fisher revealed she discovered the body of her close friend, and leading US political advisor, Greg Stevens at the end of February. Stevens passed away from heart failure in Fisher's Beverly Hills, California, home just hours after the two friends had left an Oscar after-party.

Czech supermodel Petra Nemkova received the devastating news on 8 March that the body of her dead fiancé, who had been missing since the southeast Asian tsunami in December 2004, had been found. Photographer Simon Atlee was swept away by the tidal waves that hit Thailand, where he was holidaying with Nemkova, while she clung to a treetop to survive.

There were two pieces of news that surprised movie lovers this month. George Lucas warned parents his forthcoming Star Wars prequel, Revenge Of The Sith, is not suitable for children; and Paul Newman, at the age of 80, announced his intention to retire from acting after just one more film.

Quentin Tarantino, meanwhile, abandoned plans to direct the next James Bond film after Pierce Brosnan was fired by studio heads, while actor Daniel Baldwin declared himself a "drug addict", after getting hooked on painkillers.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Hollywood ditched the William Morris Agency after its president dismissed the star as "nothing at all". David Wirtschafter offended the actress with his comments in the New Yorker surrounding her performance in horror movie The Grudge. A few days later, Halle Berry also ditched the prestigious agency.

In many of March's legal stories, Berry won a three year restraining order against a security guard she had accused of sending a series of threatening letters to her home.

Robert Blake was found not guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Jurors also found Blake not guilty of one count of soliciting someone else to kill his spouse. But the panel deadlocked on a second solicitation of murder charge in the case, and the judge declared a hung jury, effectively dismissing that charge. However, a day later a lawyer for Bakley's family announced plans to "wipe that smile off his face" in a civil case.

Hilary Swank was ordered to hand over $163 for taking an apple and orange into New Zealand, while supermodel Naomi Campbell's spokesman vehemently denied claims she attacked an assistant with a hand-held computer.

Sir Ridley Scott was accused of plagiarizing an historical author's research for his then-forthcoming epic Kingdom Of Heaven. Author James Reston Jr claimed Scott ripped off his book Warriors Of God: Richard The Lionheart And Saladin In The Third Crusade.

Mel Gibson reached an agreement with US cinema chain Regal Entertainment over a lawsuit filed by the Braveheart star's company Icon Distribution. Gibson's company sued Regal over box office receipts for The Passion Of The Christ, claiming it had not been paid its fair share of receipts.

Bill Cosby apologized to Andrea Constand who accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her at his Philadelphia home in January 2004. Despite protesting his innocence throughout the five-week investigation, which was abandoned due to a lack of evidence, Cosby admitted his actions were inappropriate.

Basketball star Kobe Bryant breathed a sigh of relief when a judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against him, following his settlement with his rape accuser.

And Sir Sean Connery filed a counter suit against his New York neighbor, after the townhouse resident sued the acting legend for being a "rude, foul-mouthed, fat old man". In a counter suit, Connery accused Dr Burton Sultan of embarking on "a campaign of harassing" him and his family.

Former Baywatch star Michael Bergin had a miserable March, after he was sent to jail for 30 days after being found guilty of a felony drink-driving charge, while a man was arrested in Montana this month for allegedly plotting to kidnap comedian David Letterman's son Harry and his nanny.

Tom Sizemore was sentenced to just under two years in jail for repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation. Later the same day, Sizemore was also sentenced to an additional inpatient drug treatment in a separate felony methamphetamine case. Despite the sentencing, Sizemore remained free to appeal a domestic violence conviction.

Brigitte Nielsen married for the sixth time, after tying the knot with her Italian fiancé Mattia Dessi in a romantic Caribbean ceremony. However, before the month was over it emerged the marriage wasn't legal - because Nielsen was still married to her previous husband.

Supermodel Heidi Klum announced she was pregnant with her second child with fiancé Seal. Klum was delighted to be expecting a sibling for 10-month-old daughter Leni - whose father is Italian racing boss Flavio Briatore. And Christian Bale was celebrating after his wife gave birth to his first daughter on 27 March.

Orlando Bloom was rumored to be romancing Salma Hayek, and ex-Sex And The City beauty Kristin Davis supposedly found love with Steve Martin, 20 years her senior. Both reported romances never materialized.

Elsewhere, Mark Wahlberg reignited his on/off romance with model love Rhea Durham; Denise Richards filed for divorce from her husband Charlie Sheen, while pregnant with the couple's second child; Rebecca Romijn and John Stamos officially became divorced nearly a year after they announced they were separating; Katie Holmes split from her fiancé Chris Klein; Shannon Elizabeth and husband Joseph Reitman split; Sideways director Alexander Payne and his wife Sandra Oh announced their separation; and Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce from Brad Pitt - dashing any hopes of reconciliation for Hollywood's first couple.

Unwell celebrities this month included former US President Bill Clinton, who had his chest cavity opened for the second time in six months. And model-turned-businesswoman Kimora Lee-Simmons, married to rap mogul Russell Simmons, revealed she was battling eating disorder anorexia. Unlucky Christina Applegate was forced out of the Boston tryout of the Broadway-bound revival of Sweet Charity, after breaking her foot during a performance in Chicago.

It was announced that Nicole DeHuff, the actress who was famously smashed in the face by a volleyball in Meet The Parents, died after two medics misdiagnosed her pneumonia. And famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran Jr, who represented both OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson, died of an inoperable brain tumor.

APRIL

April opened with the incredible story of British royal Prince Charles launching a scathing attack on the media, while unaware his every word was picked up by microphones and broadcast to millions of open-mouthed viewers.

Just days before his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, Charles attended a photo call with his two sons Princes William and Harry near the ski slopes in Klosters, Switzerland. Growing increasingly frustrated with the awkward questions being thrown at them, Charles leaned towards his sons and launched into a whispered assault on the journalists present, saying, "These bl*ody people. I hate doing this." And when Charles spotted British reporter Nicholas Witchell in the crowd, his mood worsened: "I can't bear that man. I mean, he's so awful, he really is."

The biggest story of the month was the death of Pope John Paul II, who died in his private apartment in The Vatican on 2 April. He was 84. The Polish-born leader of the Catholic Church had been suffering kidney and heart problems for several months.

On 19 April, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was named the new Pope and became Pope Benedict XVI. Wasting no time, Pope Benedict swiftly blasted JK Rowling's Harry Potter books for "undermining the soul of Christianity".

Following the news, Desperate Housewives bosses were forced to edit a scene in the hit TV show's 3 April episode, in which Marcia Cross' character Bree Van De Kamp's reference to Catholics was dubbed over after it was deemed inappropriate so soon after the Pope's demise.

Out of respect, Prince Charles postponed his marriage to Camilla so he could attend the Pope's funeral. The royal couple had been due to wed on 8 April, but when the pontiff's funeral was scheduled for the same day, they pushed their ceremony back a day.

On 9 April, Charles and Camilla married at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, before moving on to St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle for a blessing, which was attended by 800 friends and family, including Queen Elizabeth II and Princes William and Harry.

Meanwhile, Heidi Klum's former employers at German fashion house Otto slammed her claims they fired her because she was pregnant with her second child.

And just a week after Christopher Eccleston quit BBC TV series Doctor Who, the corporation was forced to apologize to the actor after they failed to consult him before they announced he would be quitting the show.

Meanwhile, Brooke Shields confessed she was so low after giving birth to baby daughter Rowan in 2003, she contemplated suicide. Similarly, Naomi Watts credited 2001 movie Mulholland Dr with saving her life - because she regularly contemplated suicide until she got her big break in the film.

Watts' best friend Nicole Kidman revealed she still mourns the baby she lost following a miscarriage shortly after her marriage to Tom Cruise began to falter.

Producers of the forthcoming James Bond sequel refused to comment on our story British star Daniel Craig had won the coveted super spy role. And former Bond girl Grace Jones denied attacking a train manager during a row over ticket fares on a trip from Paris to London.

Campaigning actor Sean Penn hit back at those who criticized his trips to war-torn Iraq, labeling them "envious", while Jane Fonda returned to her campaigning roots during an appearance on David Letterman's US TV show when she said, to applause from the studio audience about the conflict in Iraq, "I think the war is wrong. I think it's a mistake and I think that we should get out."

Later in the month, Fonda was left drenched in tobacco spit when a Vietnam veteran spat at her during a book signing in Kansas City. Michael Smith, who carried out his assault in response to Fonda's controversial 1972 trip to Hanoi, was arrested by police after handing the actress a copy of her autobiography My Life So Far to sign, and then spitting on her. He was charged with disorderly conduct.

Meanwhile, Richard Gere urged Israelis and Palestinians to put their complicated history behind them and make peace during a visit to Israeli capital Jerusalem.

Paul Newman hinted he might not retire from acting after all, despite his announcement in March he was stepping away from Hollywood. But cycling champion Lance Armstrong did announce his plans to retire from professional racing after the summer's Tour De France.

The Sony Corporation completed its purchase of Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $2.9 billion. Sony also took over the distribution of MGM's library of 4,000 films and 10,000 TV shows, adding to its current catalogue of 3,500 movies and 35,000 TV programs. MGM was the last major independent Hollywood studio.

Bruce Willis was honored in Paris on 13 April for his contribution to the film industry, by the French government. Willis was made Officier Dans L'Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres (Officer In The Order Of Arts and Letters) at a ceremony in the capital.

Reese Witherspoon became the latest celebrity to challenge the paparazzi after a scuffle and a chase through Hollywood. The actress was left so shaken after over-zealous photographers blocked her car, so she couldn't drive off after working out at a Los Angeles gym, and a subsequent car chase she called police with an eye to press charges.

Demi Moore also became involved in a fracas with a photographer in April, after denying a snapper a picture at the New York premiere of A Lot Like Love. Moore and her partner Ashton Kutcher had ignored Steve Sand's pleas for a shot.

And the British royal family urged the paparazzi to leave Prince Harry alone, after photographers pursued him in a car chase which mirrored the high speed pursuit that left his mother Diana, Princess Of Wales dead in 1997.

In legal news, tennis beauty Anna Kournikova's alleged stalker William Lepeska was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by a Miami, Florida, judge, after he repeatedly shuffled papers in a loud manner and spoke in a disjointed and fragmented way.

American Pie actress Natasha Lyonne was slapped with an arrest warrant after failing to appear in court to answer charges stemming from her alleged threats to molest a dog.

David and Courtney Cox Arquette threatened legal action against anyone who published photographs of their baby, after a snap was leaked to media organizations. Coco, then 10 months old, was snapped at her christening, where Jennifer Aniston was named godmother.

Chris Tucker claimed he was in a hurry to make it to church on time when police caught him speeding. Law enforcers pulled over the comedian's speeding Bentley - which they stated was doing 109 miles per hour on Georgia's Interstate 20.

Bill Cosby was in more hot water in April when 11 of his alleged former mistresses came forward with stories the comic drugged and assaulted them. The women were responding to accusation Cosby drugged and molested basketball player Andrea Constand.

Meanwhile, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was branded a sexist again - after mocking pre-menstrual stress during a live radio interview.

Love was in the air in April. Tom Cruise announced he had a new girlfriend in the shape of newly-single actress Katie Holmes. Chad Michael Murray wed his One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush. Ben Affleck asked his girlfriend Jennifer Garner to marry him by presenting her with a 4.5 carat Harry Winston ring at her 33rd birthday party.

Elsewhere, on/off Hollywood couple Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal laughed off reports they are engaged to be married. Likewise, Uma Thurman denied stories she was planning to wed her boyfriend Andre Balazs.

And Orlando Bloom announced he'd put his love affair with actress Kate Bosworth on hold for a year - to give each other "time to grow". Elizabeth Hurley's boyfriend Arun Nayer has filed for divorce from his wife of eight years, freeing him to marry the model-turned-actress.

Fitness guru Jane Fonda admitted she is suffering from osteoarthritis, and is no longer able to exercise as much as she used to. Joaquin Phoenix voluntarily checked himself into rehab to be treated for alcoholism; and former Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce checked into a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse.

Aside from Pope John Paul II, other deaths in April included the passing of Europe's longest-ruling monarch Prince Rainier III of Monaco. He died aged 81 on 6 April after a five-week battle with breathing, kidney and heart problems. Legendary actor Sir John Mills died following a battle with a chest infection at the age of 97.

MAY

May kicked off in seedy style with screen beauty Angelina Jolie denying reports she was caught having phone sex with Brad Pitt by his then-estranged wife Jennifer Aniston as "absolute bulls**t".

Jolie, the United Nations (UN) Goodwill Ambassador, also pleaded with the international community to help millions of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

Hotly-tipped James Bond star Daniel Craig added more questions to who would be named the next 007 when he confirmed he had been approached to play the secret agent in an internet interview. He cryptically said, "It was a surreal time to have the studio phoning you up saying you've got the job and then the Broccolis (Bond producers) saying nothing... I just let it go."

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith series grossed $158.5 million during its first weekend of release in North America - the biggest three-day opening of all time.

Actor Russell Crowe launched a scathing attack on a playwright who accused him of being a cheap, egotistical drunk in a new Los Angeles play Killing Russell Crowe. The Gladiator star was furious with Jeremy Kehoe's show, which has a scene in which a disgruntled bartender declares he wants to murder Crowe, because he doesn't pay for his drinks and leaves unsigned photos of himself instead.

Matt Damon revealed he had been left fearing for his life, after his helicopter plummeted during a flight to Sweden. The hydraulics failed just before landing, until the quick-witted pilot rescued the aircraft and its anxious, superstar passenger.

Forrest Gump star Mykelti Williamson drove for his life on 3 May when he was chased by a racist gunman in Gardena, California. The actor, who played Bubba in the 1994 movie, was driving through the city when a young man began shouting racial slurs and pointing a gun at the star. After running Williamson off the road, the culprit approached his car on foot, but eventually left the scene. After reporting the man's license plate to the police, Ernesto Diaz was arrested and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and of hate crimes.

Tom Cruise was named Hollywood's most powerful actor in movie magazine Premiere's annual Power List. Cruise ranked 14th on the list, while fellow Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt was his nearest rival at 31. Julia Roberts was the highest placed actress, at 32, while Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman came 36th.

The same month, Cruise made a memorable appearance on Oprah Winfrey's TV talk show and jumped up and down on her sofa, punching the air and declaring his love for girlfriend Katie Holmes. Cruise also caused controversy when he criticized Brooke Shields' "misguided" use of the anti-depressant Paxil to treat post-natal depression, while declaring the actress' career to be over.

Goldie Hawn's new autobiography A Lotus Grows In The Mud contained numerous revelations including the fact she was sexually abused as a young child, but was grateful the awful experience failed to stop her trusting men as an adult.

Heath Ledger escaped charges after allegedly tackling a photographer on the set of his latest film Candy. Ledger reportedly jumped on paparazzo Guy Finlay on the Sydney set of the romantic drama. Finlay claimed Ledger "violently assaulted" him from behind, but police didn't pressed charges due to a lack of witnesses.

And Burt Reynolds slammed reports he struck an assistant producer for asking insulting questions at the New York premiere of his new film, The Longest Yard.

Meanwhile, the inquiry into the 1975 death of Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini was reopened - after the man jailed for his murder implicated other suspects. Pino Pelosi was imprisoned for nine years after being convicted of Pasolini's murder, in what was believed to be a homosexual attack. But this month he gave an interview claiming three unnamed men beat Pasolini to death on a beach in Rome, because of his political affiliation to the communist party.

In a month littered with lawsuits, Robin Williams filed sued in a Minnesota court against celebrity impersonator Michael Clayton and his agent Michael Pool, claiming the pair conned charities into believing he's the real thing. A few days later, Clayton was reported to have agreed to stop his unscrupulous activities and no criminal charges were filed.

Ex-South Africa president Nelson Mandela launched legal action against his ex-lawyer Ismail Ayob and Ayob's business associate Ross Calder for selling forgeries of artwork detailing his prison experiences. Mandela accused the pair of shifting fake pictures bearing Mandela's name for their own profit.

Warren Beatty sued a US newspaper publisher Tribune Co for $30 million in damages, claiming he still has the film rights to Dick Tracy and plans to shoot a sequel. In the suit, Beatty claimed Tribune moved to reclaim the rights in 2002, in violation of various notification procedures.

Super Size Me director and star Morgan Spurlock had legal proceeding launched against him for a staggering $40 million by a company which claimed he's failed to share the film's profits with them, despite signing a contract promising a 25 per cent share.

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers admitted assaulting his teenage girlfriend Reena Hammer at her London home in January. He was cautioned for common assault, and 18-year-old Hammer owned up to provoking and attacking Meyers - she received an identical warning.

At the Cannes Film Festival in Frances, Catherine Deneuve was presented with an honorary award in recognition of her life's work and 'legendary' status, while Belgian movie L'enfant beat 20 other films to win the coveted Palme D'Or. Elsewhere, Tommy Lee Jones won the Best Actor award for his role as Pete Perkins in western The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada, which he also directed. Jones' film also won Best Screenplay for its writer Guillermo Arriaga. Israeli Hanna Laslo picked up the Best Actress prize for her role in Free Zone, about a borderless Middle East. American director Jim Jarmusch won the Grand Prix award for his film Broken Flowers. Chinese filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai won the Special Jury Prize for Shanghai Dreams. Michael Haneke won the Best Director award for French film Hidden.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell had jewelry and clothes worth nearly $50,000 stolen from her while she celebrated her 35th birthday at the Riviera event on 19 May. Coincidentally, on the same day, property worth $19,000 was stolen in a raid on Kate Moss's London home.

Christian Slater was arrested on suspicion of feeling a woman's bottom in a New York street, while intoxicated. The True Romance star vigorously denied the allegation. And director Oliver Stone was arrested for drink-driving and possession of drugs in Beverly Hills.

Renee Zellweger stunned Hollywood by marrying her country sweetheart Kenny Chesney on 9 May. The pair exchanged vows on the Caribbean island of St Johns, where Chesney has a holiday home. Supermodel Heidi Klum and pop star Seal tied the knot; ex-Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley married his long-term lover Naomi Lowde; and Willem Dafoe married Italian actress and director Giada Colagrande.

Just days after it was revealed Ben Affleck had asked his girlfriend Jennifer Garner to marry him, it became clear the Alias star was carrying his child.

Sharon Stone adopted a second son, Laird Vonne Stone, who was born to "unknown and unrelated parents in Texas" on 7 May. Tennis star Lleyton Hewitt's actress fiancé Bec Cartwright was expecting her first child.

It was the turn of Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake to laugh off reports they were planning an imminent wedding in the south of France. But Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber did begin dating this month, as did Keanu Reeves and his Il Mare co-star Lynn Collins. And Paris Hilton got engaged to her Greek shipping heir boyfriend of eight months, Paris Latsis.

Meanwhile, James Caan planned on giving his marriage another chance after filing for divorce from his fourth wife Linda in April. But American Pie star Mena Suvari filed for divorce from cinematographer Robert Brinkmann after five years of marriage.

Patrick Stewart suffered a heart scare, when he was rushed to hospital after suffering chronic chest pains while shooting a new science fiction TV show. Stewart halted filming of British mini-series Eleventh Hour. But doctors concluded his heart was healthy, so he returned to the set three hours later.

Two notable Hollywood deaths occurred in May - Frank Gorshin, the man behind Batman foe The Riddler's mask, died at a medical center in Burbank, California. He was 72. And veteran movie producer Ismail Merchant died in a London hospital aged 68.

JUNE

As Tinseltown started to slow down in preparation for the release of the big summer blockbusters, June was dominated by love and the coming together of some of showbiz's biggest names. We also said goodbye to a few showbiz legends.

Russell Crowe got the month off to a big bang on the 6th, when he threw a telephone at an employee at New York's Mercer Hotel. Crowe had been attempting to call his wife Danielle back in Australia, and snapped when his attempts to complain were allegedly mocked by Nestor Estrada. Police charged him with assault and criminal possession of a weapon - and he faced a seven year jail sentence if convicted. Crowe later expressed his remorse for the incident, "I'm very sorry for my actions. I know it's my fault. I'll cop whatever I cop. I wasn't aiming at him, but I've got no excuses."

The big showbiz story of the month saw Tom Cruise proposing to Katie Holmes on 17 June on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, after a whirlwind three-month relationship. After revealing the news, Cruise said, "Today is a magnificent day for me, I'm engaged to a magnificent woman."

Love was also in the air for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, who married in secret in the Turks and Caicos islands. Affleck was so paranoid about security, he didn't even invite best friend Matt Damon.

Denise Richards gave birth to her second child with estranged husband Charlie Sheen. They named their daughter - a sister for then 15-month Sam - Lola. Former Sabrina The Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart also had some exciting baby news - she announced she is expecting her first child with husband Mark Wilkerson in January 2006.

In news, four people were arrested after Tom Cruise was squirted with water from a bogus microphone at the London premiere of War Of The Worlds. The prank was for a new TV show - but backfired when the guilty parties were left facing assault charges. Cruise called the would-be-interviewer a "jerk".

A British newspaper was forced to apologize to Sir Michael Caine after wrongly claiming he had undergone a facelift.

It was a good month for celebrity lawyers. Cameron Diaz embarked on a lawsuit against American tabloid the National Enquirer after it alleged she cheated on boyfriend Justin Timberlake with TV producer Shane Nickerson; and supermodel Claudia Schiffer won a court battle against some German magazines after paparazzi photographers snapped her baby son Caspar after a car accident in May 2003.

Mel Gibson's stalker was sentenced to three years in prison after hounding the actor at his Malibu, California, home.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas were back in court in June, and succeeding in taking their long-running battle with British showbiz magazine Hello! over secret photos they took of the couple's 2000 wedding to the UK's House of Lords - the highest court in the land.

A shocked Leonardo DiCaprio was viciously attacked by a woman with a broken beer bottle after leaving a celebrity party in Los Angeles on 17 June. He needed 12 stitches to his face after the incident. Nicolas Cage was also the victim of crime in June, when he discovered an imposter had posed as him on the internet and sent lewd emails to his friends; and Robert De Niro's nanny was charged with stealing jewelry from the actor and his wife Grace Hightower.

Elsewhere, the celebrities were the accused - Macaulay Culkin pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of possession of medication without a prescription and marijuana - stemming from his arrest the previous September. He was given a deferred sentence and fined $540.

Pierce Brosnan's 32-year-old son Christopher was arrested for possession of heroin in London on 15 June.

Meanwhile, Zsa Zsa Gabor filed a lawsuit against her daughter Francesca Hilton, accusing her of conspiring to steal more than $2 million from her, while Prince William passed his Master Of Arts degree in geography at Scotland's St Andrews University, with a respectable 2:1 grade.

A California poll showed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger faced defeat should he attempt re-election next year. Fifty-seven per cent of registered voters insist they would not vote for the Republican, just 20 months after he swept to power with a landslide victory.

Elizabeth Hurley reported her beloved pet dog Emily missing, feared dognapped, from her London home.

Former boxing champ Mike Tyson announced his retirement from the sport after losing his latest bout on Saturday 11th. He later revealed his plans to become a missionary.

And Angelina Jolie ruled out reconciliation with her estranged dad Jon Voight, who she hadn't spoken to for four years. The pair fell out after he claimed she had mental problems on a TV show. In June, Jolie said, "If you have people in your life who make you feel bad about yourself, make you cry, then get them out of your life. Be strong and focus your love elsewhere. I've had some good moments with my father, and I don't think he's a bad person. I just think we are not a good family when we are all together. There's far too much pain."

In movie news, director Matthew Vaughn pulled out of X-Men 3 citing "personal problems", while Tom Sizemore pulled out of movie The Fifth Commandment in a bid to overcome his drug problems..

Tom Cruise revealed his plans to star alongside Will Smith in a super movie blockbuster project.

Onstage, musical The Light In The Piazza stormed the Tony Awards, where Monty Python musical Spamalot picked up three awards - including Best Musical.

Alicia Silverstone married her musician boyfriend Christopher Jarecki in a barefoot ceremony at Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

The warm weather also proved an aphrodisiac for some other new showbiz couples. Halle Berry was reported to be back in the arms of her ex-boyfriend, Barbershop star Michael Ealy; Rachel Weisz hooked up with acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky; Kim Cattrall reportedly began dating London stage co-star Alexander Siddig.

Another wedding looked in the cards after Elizabeth Hurley's boyfriend Arun Nayer agreed a divorce settlement with his estranged wife Valentina Pedroni.

But it wasn't all good news when it came to relationships. Supermodel Elle Macpherson and her partner of nine years financier Arpad Busson split. George Clooney also ended his five-year on-off relationship with British TV presenter Lisa Snowdon, because it had "nowhere to go". And Joely Richardson and her boyfriend John Hensley split after a year together.

Some stars had health worries in June. Former Dallas star Victoria Principal was rushed to hospital on 5 June suffering a rare blood disease, she was later discharged and treated "at home under doctor's care". Male model Tyson Beckford was lucky to survive a car crash when his truck crashed and burst into flames on a New Jersey highway. He was treated for head trauma and cuts and later released.

Veteran British actor Corin Redgrave was rushed to hospital on 9 June after he collapsed while making a speech on behalf of a group of travelers. The 65-year-old was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital by ambulance. And Jaws star Roy Scheider, then 72, underwent stem cell surgery in June to treat cancer of the plasma cells.

Legendary photographer Lord Snowdon suffered a suspected stroke on the 21st and was treated at London's Chelsea & Westminster hospital. Also in the British capital, a bout of gastroenteritis kept Val Kilmer offstage - where he was performing The Postman Always Rings Twice. And Broadway theatre bosses were forced to close the New York performance of On Golden Pond on 26 June because its star, James Earl Jones, couldn't unable to recover from pneumonia in time to save the show.

Among those who died were The Graduate star Anne Bancroft, after a battle with uterine cancer. She was 73. We also lost French Moulin Rouge actress Suzanne Flon in June, aged 87. Two legendary Disney voices - the men behind Winnie The Pooh characters Piglet and Tigger - John Fielder and Paul Winchell died with a day of each other, aged 80 and 82 respectively.

British TV fans mourned the passing of TV game show host and former journalist Richard Whiteley who died aged just 61.

American actor Lane Smith lost his battle with neuromuscular disease ALS, aged 69, and female bounty hunter Domino Smith - the subject of a 2005 biopic starring Keira Knightley - was found dead in a bathtub in West Hollywood aged 35.

JULY

July began in explosive fashion with Brooke Shields hitting back at Tom Cruise after he criticized Shields in a May interview for condoning the use of drugs she used to help overcome post-partum depression.

At that moment, Courteney Cox chose to speak out about her battle with post-partum depression after the birth of her daughter Coco. Cox and her husband David Arquette welcomed their first child into the world in June 2004.

Jennifer Aniston urged the paparazzi to stop following her in her private time - because she's never sure if she's being stalked by a photographer or a crazy, armed fan. Later in the month, Aniston's childhood sweetheart put mementoes of their relationship on internet auction site eBay.

In news, Pitt's new love Angelina Jolie adopted an Ethiopian baby girl who she named Zahara Marley.

And Hollywood stars Val Kilmer, Ewan McGregor and David Schwimmer stood by Londoners when they returned to the West End stage just a day after suicide bombers murdered 52 people on the British capital's transport system on 7 July.

George Clooney teamed up with Cindy Crawford's restaurateur husband Rande Gerber - and reportedly Brad Pitt - to build an ambitious new Las Vegas, Nevada, hotel Las Ramblas.

Sir Sean Connery ditched plans for his long-awaited autobiography, returning a staggering $1.7 million advance to the publishing giants Harper Collins.

The Lost Boys star Corey Feldman sensationally revealed he was once part of a group of child actors who were preyed upon and molested by a gang of Hollywood pedophiles. And California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ditched a multi-million-dollar contract with Muscle And Fitness And Flex magazines after he came under fire for his staggering yearly salary of $1 million (#550,000).

Gwyneth Paltrow's mum Blythe Danner made Emmy Awards history by becoming the first star to be nominated for three acting performances in one year. Danner was nominated as Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Will & Grace), Best Supporting Actress In A Drama Series (Huff) and Best Actress In A Made-For-TV Movie (Back When We Were Grownups).

Meanwhile, Eva Longoria was so ashamed of herself for wearing an "I'll have your baby, Brad" T-shirt in May, she sent Brad Pitt's estranged wife Jennifer Aniston a written apology for the distress it caused.

British royal Prince Harry was "delighted" to be found not guilty of cheating in his 2003 A-Level art exam - after an employment tribunal ruled his teacher did not do the prince's coursework for him.

This month's legal stories involved the Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California, overturned a 2004 Federal Court decision to quash the convictions of three men imprisoned for murdering Oscar-winning The Killing Fields actor Haing Ngor in 1996.

A woman accused of stalking and threatening actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was sentenced to serve three years in prison. One of Dawnette Knight's letters threatened to kill Zeta-Jones "like (US President) John F Kennedy".

Photographer John Rutter was convicted of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury for a scheme to sell topless pictures of Cameron Diaz before she hit fame back to the actress 11 years later for millions of dollars. He was sentenced to nearly four years in prison in September.

Diaz also won her libel lawsuit against a British newspaper this month, over the publication's claim she had an affair with a married man.

Hugh Grant took paparazzi avoidance to new heights when he accidentally ran over a photographer while leaving Hollywood restaurant with his girlfriend Jemima Khan.

Roman Polanski was awarded $87,000 in damages after winning his libel case against Vanity Fair at London's High Court. He was accused in an article in the magazine of seducing model Beatte Telle on the way to the burial of his wife Sharon Tate, who was murdered by followers of Charles Manson in 1969.

Colin Farrell filed a lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend Nicole Narain, accusing her of trying to distribute and profit from their "intimate" sex tape, which was made two and a half years ago. Farrell was granted a restraining order. Later in the month Narain said the video leak had nothing to do with her.

A judge ordered Tom Sizemore to stay in a rehab center until he is sentenced in September for violating probation on drug charges.

A Dutch court, meanwhile, sentenced 27-year-old radical Muslim Mohammed Bouyeri to life imprisonment after he confessed to the murder of film-maker Theo Van Gogh. Bouyeri was angered by the director's unflattering portrayal of Islam in his August 2004 film Submission.

In a harbinger of news to come, supermodel Kate Moss won her libel case with a British newspaper over its claims she collapsed into a cocaine-fuelled coma.

In one of the relationship stories of the year, Jude Law admitted he cheated on his fiancée Sienna Miller in a public apology to her, following the revelation he had an affair with a nanny. Miller subsequently ended their eight-month engagement.

Elsewhere, the romantic lives of Tinseltown continued to evolve at an alarming rate. Sandra Bullock married American TV star Jesse James; Quentin Tarantino embarked on a new romance with the ex-lover of Britney Spears' husband Kevin Federline, Shar Jackson.

Monaco royal Prince Albert II acknowledged he fathered an illegitimate child with a flight attendant, ending months of speculation. And, a day before his coronation, he controversially announced he is likely to have fathered a string of illegitimate kids.

Ben Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor were celebrating after the birth of their baby boy Quinlin Dempsey Stiller; X-Men star Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness adopted their second child, baby girl Ava Eliot; British actress Anna Friel gave birth to a baby girl Gracie; and tennis ace Pete Sampras and his actress wife Bridgette Wilson-Sampras had a son, Ryan Nikolaos.

Unfortunately for Mischa Barton, she split from her wealthy boyfriend Brandon Davis.

Nicole Kidman sparked a new round of speculation over her love life, after she was spotted on a date with Australian country star Keith Urban. She denied all reports of romance.

Zsa Zsa Gabor was left in a critical condition after suffering a stroke at her home in Beverly Hills; Jennifer Aniston collapsed on the set of her new movie The Break Up after complaining of nausea and severe headaches - She was diagnosed with heatstroke, after she fainted during filming in Chicago, Illinois.

A lucky escape for Sean Penn and his actress wife Robin Wright Pennafter a head-on car crash in London, after their chauffeur drove in the wrong direction down a one-way street. Both were uninjured.

Brad Pitt was hospitalized in Los Angeles with a severe bout of influenza. He made a full recovery after being diagnosed with viral meningitis; Murder, She Wrote star Angela Lansbury is preparing to undergo knee replacement surgery.

It was farewell to Star Trek star James Doohan, who died from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease at the age of 85. Reservoir Dogs star Edward Bunker, 71, died in hospital in Burbank, California, from complications after surgery to improve circulation in his legs.

AUGUST

In what is normally considered the quiet month for showbiz news, August proved to be surprisingly action-packed.

Once again, Jennifer Aniston was at the forefront of things. It was revealed, in a Vanity Fair magazine interview to be published in September, that she had broke down and cried when a journalist informed her about reports her estranged husband Brad Pitt was apparently - erroneously it turns out - having a baby with Angelina Jolie.

It was also reported that Aniston had pulled out of a Friends reunion show because she wants to distance herself from her character Rachel Green. Later in the month, a man was arrested wandering around the star's luxury Malibu, California, home. David Hesterbey pleaded innocent to burglary and other charges, but was slapped with a restraining order and sent to jail for a year when the case came to court in November.

The death of Star Trek actor James Doohan in July provoked a row this month between four Scottish cities over plans to erect a plaque in tribute to his Montgomery Scott character from the sci-fi saga. Officials in Linlithgow announced they planned to honor engineer Scotty who, according to Star Trek folklore, was born in the city in 2222. But, to the astonishment of Linlithgow council bosses, the cities of Aberdeen, Elgin and Edinburgh have all also laid claim to being the correct place to pay tribute to the character.

George Clooney's Italian lakeside home was infiltrated by two drunk Belgian tourists, who entered by pressing the intercom and saying 'Ciao, it's George.'

Paris Hilton was "concerned" after hearing a svelte blonde woman is impersonating her around the world. The unnamed Hilton look-alike was in her 20s, carries a teacup Chihuahua like the reality TV star's beloved pet Tinkerbell, and repeatedly uses her catchphrase, "That's hot."

Life wasn't so simple for some. Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc apologized to his wife and baby daughter for drunkenly groping a stripper during a wild night out; and Mickey Rourke was confronted outside a London nightclub by a jilted student in the early hours of 10 August, after the man's model girlfriend ditched him mid-date for the ageing lothario. It was revealed this month that Olivia Newton-John's long-term partner Patrick McDermott had been missing for almost two months after vanishing during an overnight fishing expedition.

Better news for Angelina Jolie, who was officially granted Cambodian citizenship by the Asian country's King Norodom Sihamoni. She adopted her son Maddox from there.

Ashton Kutcher and movie The Notebook were the big winners at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. Kutcher took home three awards including Best TV Actor in a Comedy and Best Male Personality. Surprise hit The Notebook received eight awards, including accolades for its young stars, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.

The ashes of Hunter S Thompson were blasted into the sky from a cannon in the late American journalist's Colorado estate on 20 August, exactly six months after his suicide.

Sleepover actress Scout Taylor-Compton, 16, was placed on the California police missing persons register list after disappearing on 12 August, before she was found two weeks later at a friend's house.

Meanwhile, cycling camp Lance Armstrong hit out at accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs to win his first Tour De France. And Heath Ledger apologized to the presenters of Australian TV show Sunrise after he ignored reporters' questions and focused on peeling an orange during an interview.

Ewan McGregor defended his aggressive outburst against a cheeky journalist at the London premiere of The Island - insisting the reporter ruined his night by criticizing his American accent in the film.

Meanwhile, Dreamworks and Warner Bros were sued by the producers of 1979 film Parts: The Clonus Horror, who claimed The Island is based on. A lawsuit alleged a number of similarities - and a number of prominent movie reviewers agreed.

August was a month filled with legal stories. First up was director James Cameron, who faced the threat of legal action from Australian couple Filia and Constantinos Kourtis over allegedly stealing their idea and using it to create 1991 blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The couple insisted they created the character of a shape-shifting creature for their own film The Minotaur in 1987.

Naomi Campbell was sued by her actress friend Yvonne Scio, who called police claiming the supermodel had punched and kicked her for wearing a similar dress.

Soccer ace David Beckham was awarded "substantial" libel damages over a British tabloid News Of The World's allegations he bombarded his children's former nanny Abbie Gibson with hate phone calls.

Sony-TriStar, the Hollywood studio behind The Mask Of Zorro, was taken to court by a film company who wanted the right to make their own Zorro movie. Sobini Films and its subsidiary Maroda Inc planned to make a film based on the 1919 Johnston McCulley book The Curse Of Capistrano, for which they claim to have acquired the rights in 2000.

In a separate suit, Sony-TriStar reached a $1.5 million settlement over accusations it advertised movies using quotes from a fabricated film critic.

Joe Pesci's ex wife Claudia 'Marty' Haro was arrested for attempted murder after a hit man failed to kill her stuntman husband; Pamela Anderson was slapped with a breach of contract lawsuit for allegedly not making herself available for promotional events; Oliver Stone pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor possession of marijuana while driving charge - just six years after pleading no contest to exactly the same crime; Mike Tyson was questioned by police over claims he assaulted a woman who refused to take his cocaine and have sex with him in a nightclub on the Italian island of Panarea.

Former child actor Skylar Deleona, who starred in hit TV series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, and his wife stood accused of brutally murdering a Californian couple by tying them to an anchor and throwing them overboard a yacht.

In the world of romance, Renee Zellweger slammed reports her three month marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney is in trouble; Eddie Murphy's wife Nicole filed for divorce; Keira Knightley split up with her model boyfriend Jamie Dornan, although it wasn't long before the couple were back together.

Jessica Simpson's father hired "the most powerful lawyer" in Hollywood to sue magazines that claim the singer is splitting from her husband Nick Lachey.

Film producer Robert Evans wed for a seventh time after a whirlwind courtship with socialite Lady Victoria White. He had proposed to her by pasting an image of his head over a picture of her dead husband. And 24 actress Sarah Wynter wed American magazine editor Dan Peres in a private ceremony in Australia.

Reformed wild man Robert Downey Jr married his film producer girlfriend Susan Levin. He later claimed he moved his wedding from the New York estate of Ron Perlman and Ellen Barkin at the last minute because the couple gave him "somewhat less" than their best wishes.

Patricia Arquette announced she's finally ready to wed her fiancé Thomas Jane in 2006; actress Ali Landry is engaged to director Alejandro Monteverde.

Holly Hunter revealed she was expecting twins with actor boyfriend Gordon MacDonald; British royals Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess Of Wessex were expecting a baby - defying concerns they would never be able to conceive another child; supermodel Christy Turlington was pregnant with her second child with actor Ed Burns.

Charlie Sheen ended weeks of speculation about the state of his marriage to former Bond girl Denise Richards by admitting a reconciliation is "possible". Orlando Bloom, meanwhile, rekindled his romance with on/off girlfriend Kate Bosworth.

Reports emerged that 40-year-old Keanu Reeves had dumped 28-year-old actress Lynn Collins to date Diane Keaton. Keaton swiftly denied the story.

Murder She Wrote star Angela Lansbury was back on her feet after undergoing a knee replacement operation in July. Zsa Zsa Gabor made a miraculous recovery from the stroke she suffered a month earlier and slowly started to walk again. But Christopher Reeve's widow Dana Reeve was devastated after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Eva Longoria narrowly escaped serious injury after being struck on the head by a falling pole while filming the second series of the hit TV show.

As the month drew to a close and a natural disaster hit the US, Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless was one of thousands to make a nightmare escape from New Orleans, Louisiana, to avoid Hurricane Katrina. The New Zealander was shooting new movie Vampire Bats in the city. Other stars forced to abandon filming in New Orleans included Michael Keaton and Hilary Swank.

Robert De Niro closed the set of his The Good Shepherd movie on 31 August so that he and stars Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie could help raise cash for victims of Hurricane Katrina at a telethon.

August was also characterized by a number of celebrity deaths. Saudi Arabian royal King Fahd died of complications of a stroke at the age of 84; US news presenter Peter Jennings died following a battle with lung cancer aged 67; German actress/singer Ilse Werner died in her sleep after a long battle against pneumonia aged 84; Barbara Bel Geddes died of lung cancer aged 82; Men In Black II star Matthew McGrory died aged 32; and Italian cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli, who worked on movies including The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, was found dead in his Rome apartment at the age of 81.

SEPTEMBER

Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina on America's Gulf Coast at the end of August, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tim McGraw and Harry Connick Jr immediately signed up to star in a telethon to help the victims in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Kind-hearted Nicolas Cage donated $1 million of his own cash to relief efforts, and Steven Spielberg donated $1.5 million.

Colin Farrell helped raise $20,000 at an auction to aid the victims, by selling a date with himself to the highest bidder, and Julia Roberts took two truckloads of gifts to a shelter housing hurricane victims in Birmingham, Alabama.

However, Sean Penn was ridiculed when he joined in the New Orleans rescue effort and it was reported he had forgotten to fix a hole in his boat, which started sinking as he scooped water out of it with a plastic cup. But presidential historian and eyewitness Douglas Brinkley hailed the Oscar winner an "American hero" for "rescuing up to 40 people".

Controversial film-maker Michael Moore launched a scathing attack on US President George W Bush's handling of the relief operation, as did celebrities including Pierce Brosnan, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby and Kanye West. Moore was so incensed he immediately began planning a documentary on how Bush dealt with the disaster.

Meanwhile, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger defended the way authorities handled the aftermath. This month he also determined to fight a bill endorsing homosexual marriage in California and confirmed he will run for re-election in 2006.

Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn were accused of plotting to oust Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe by the African state's official press. The actors recently starred in The Interpreter, about an assassination attempt on an African dictator. But the similarities between Mugabe and the fictional leader caused a state controlled newspaper to speak out against the film.

British royal Princess Michael Of Kent slammed Prince Charles for using his late wife Diana, Princess Of Wales as a "convenient womb" to produce his heir.

In movies, it was revealed this month that George Clooney was forced to put up his house as collateral to fund his second directorial outing Good Night, And Good Luck. Pierce Brosnan branded the producers of the iconic James Bond movies "stupid" for dismissing Ewan McGregor as too short for the coveted role.

Steven Spielberg was criticized by the only surviving Palestinian terrorist behind the massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, because the director failed to consult him over his movie dramatization of the tragic events.

Johnny Depp's handprints and footprints were immortalized in concrete in front of Hollywood's legendary Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Guy Ritchie and his wife Madonna were booed at the London premiere of his new movie Revolver, because they refused to sign autographs for expectant fans.

Ang Lee was honored with the coveted Golden Lion award for his latest movie Brokeback Mountain at the 62nd Venice Film Festival in Italy. Philippe Garrel picked up the Silver Lion prize for directing Les Amants Reguliers (The Regular Lovers). Isabelle Huppert was given a Special Lion for her career. And George Clooney's Good Night, And Good Luck, was named Best Screenplay and Best Actor for leading man David Strathairn.

Hit US movie Crash won the Jury Prize at the Deauville Film Festival in France. The French event celebrates American cinema.

Sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and TV movie The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers were the big winners at the 57th Annual Emmy Awards, picking up a trio of accolades each. Elsewhere, Lost won two awards as did Desperate Housewives.

French actor Gerard Depardieu slammed claims he was intoxicated and rude during an interview on British chat show Tonight With Jonathan Ross.

Heather Mills McCartney picked up a humanitarian award at the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) 25th anniversary gala.

Jude Law was involved in a minor car accident in London, when he collided with a motorbike courier while driving back to his home in Maida Vale.

Reese Witherspoon became caught up in a paparazzi incident after a photographer allegedly assaulted two men while attempting to photograph the actress and her kids at Disney's California Adventure theme park in Anaheim. As park employees attempted to move the snapper her to a safer area, he allegedly assaulted two park employees, prompting security to call the police. The photographer, Todd Wallace, was cited for two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.

A photographer was also arrested on the set of Brad Pitt's new movie The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford in Fort Edmonton, Canada.

Supermodel-turned-US talk show host Tyra Banks had a plastic surgeon examine her breasts on her program to prove to the world her shapely assets are real.

A scandal erupted when photographs alleging to show supermodel Kate Moss snorting lines of cocaine in a recording studio with lover Pete Doherty were published in British newspaper the Daily Mirror. The images appeared to show the catwalk queen chopping the white powder into lines with a credit card and snorting it through a rolled up #5 note. Moss apologized to her fashion house bosses, although H&M and Chanel both dropped her. By the end of the month, she had checked into an Arizona rehab clinic.

A judge ordered Tom Sizemore to spend another 30 days in a rehabilitation center, where he was sent after violating his probation for possessing methamphetamine.

Former NYPD Blue star Kim Delaney lost custody of her teenage son after he testified in a Santa Monica, California, court that she was endangering his life by drunk driving.

Paul Hogan was questioned by the Australian Crime Commission over allegations he was involved in a multi-million tax avoidance scheme.

Movie veteran Shelly Winters sought to reclaim control of her $15 million (#8.3 million) fortune from her daughter Vittoria, so she could marry for the fourth time.

The 17-year-old who hacked into Paris Hilton's mobile phone and published its contents on the internet earlier in the year was sentenced to 11 months in a juvenile correctional facility.

The Sopranos actor Vincent Pastore agreed to plead guilty to a charge that he attempted to assault his ex-girlfriend in April.

Pamela Anderson filed for a restraining order against super fan William Stansfield. The actress/model claimed Stansfield has been following her all over Malibu, California, where she lives with her young sons.

Anna Nicole Smith's appeal to restore a judge's award of $88.6 million from the estate of her late husband is set to be heard by the US Supreme Court in January (06), it was decided this month.

Complicated romantic lives continued to dominate in September. Alec Baldwin's messy custody battle with former wife Kim Basinger got nastier after the actor called the police on the actress for reportedly denying him access to their daughter Ireland.

Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney split up in September - just four months after marrying in the Caribbean. She cited "fraud" as the underlying reason behind her divorce application.

US comedienne Kathy Griffin filed for divorce from her husband of four-and-a-half years. The Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn DiScala's marriage to her manager AJ was at an end, and One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray separated, after just five months of marriage.

The month's biggest wedding saw Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher marry in a secret ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on the 24th. Jennifer Jason Leigh married her film-maker boyfriend Noah Baumbach.

Matt Damon became engaged to marry his girlfriend Luciana Barroso, following a 17 month romance, and Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn confirmed reports they are to get married.

Portia De Rossi confirmed her intention to marry her lesbian lover Ellen DeGeneres if gay weddings are made legal in America. Mischa Barton started dating Kimberley Stewart's rocker ex-boyfriend Cisco Adler and Rob Schneider started dating his ex-wife.

Supermodel Heidi Klum and her pop star husband Seal were celebrating the birth of their first child, Henry, together, while Donald Trump announced he was expecting his first baby with third wife Melania Knauss. French director Luc Besson became a dad for the fifth time. Hitch star Kevin James was celebrating after becoming a first-time dad to daughter Sienna-Marie.

Gilligan's Island star Bob Denver died aged 70; Oscar-winning director Robert Wise died of heart failure, only five days after celebrating his 91st birthday; Constance Moore died of heart failure at the age of 84; British movie producer Lord John Brabourne died at the age of 80; actor Thomas Ross Bond died aged 79; Don Adams, star of the 1960s TV spy spoof Get Smart, died of a lung infection aged 82.

OCTOBER

October was dominated by a famous pregnancy and the biggest, most drawn out suspense in Hollywood.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced they are expecting a baby together, just six months after they began dating.

Daniel Craig as 007 was the worst kept secret in Hollywood for a few hours when the actor's mother Carol accidentally let slip her son would be slipping into the super spy's tuxedo for Casino Royale next year - before it could be announced at a spectacular unveiling ceremony on the River Thames in London. The 37-year-old Brit beat out an impossibly long list of contenders for the part, making up most of Hollywood's leading men.

In other Bond news; Indian actor Gulshan Grover was confirmed as the next Bond baddie in Casino Royale. It was also announced a biopic of Bond creator Sir Ian Fleming is being planned.

The English home of animated hit Wallace And Gromit was destroyed in a fire on 10 October. Almost every plasticine creation ever made by Aardman Animations was claimed by the inferno - except the original figures of Wallace and Gromit, who were safely stored with creator Nick Park. The blaze came just days after the launch of Wallace And Gromit movie The Curse Of The Wererabbit, which stormed the box office in the UK and US.

A number of new movie ideas were born in October, including a biopic of former The Who rocker Keith Moon, starring Mike Myers; a movie version of John Milton's 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost; a movie franchise based on the Halo videogames - snapped up by Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson.

Busy Sylvester Stallone revealed plans to make new Rocky and Rambo installments, at the age of 59.

Hardman rival Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to rise to the challenge - despite his busy day job as California Governor, Arnie reportedly signed up for a fourth Terminator movie and a sequel to 1994 movie True Lies.

Steven Spielberg, meanwhile, revealed he has invented new technology he calls "the future of cinema". He claims the advanced screening technology will suck audiences in even more. "In the future, you will physically be inside the experience, which will surround you top, bottom, on all sides. I've invented it, but because patent is pending, I can't discuss it right now."

Peter Jackson ditched the entire score for his King Kong remake just seven weeks before the premiere - and sacked Lord Of The Rings composer Howard Shore, replacing him with Batman Begins' James Newton Howard.

British playwright Harold Pinter was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for literature and a $1.3 million cash prize.

French actor Gerard Depardieu announced his decision to retire from film-making, at the age of 56.

Also in news, Kate Moss checked out of rehab in Arizona after a three week spell. She checked in after a British tabloid captured her snorting cocaine; and Tom Hanks begged NASA to let him go into space on their next mission, after writing and producing IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon.

Star Trek star George Takei came out. The actor - who has played Hikaru Sulu since Star Trek began in 1966 - revealed he has been living with gay partner Brad Altman for 18 years.

Angelina Jolie hit out at the US government for spending money on the Iraq war that could be better channeled into fighting AIDS and HIV in the developing world; while teenage star Lindsay Lohan had another car accident on 4 October outside Los Angeles restaurant The Ivy. She was unhurt.

Jennifer Aniston revealed she has reconciled with her mother, nine years after they became estranged. The fell out after Nancy Aniston discussed her daughter on a US TV chat show in 1996 and wrote about her childhood in 1999 novel From Mother And Daughter To Friends.

Renee Zellweger was so angry with a New York newspaper's claims she is dating another man, just weeks after her split from husband Kenny Chesney, she stormed into its office to berate the guilty reporter. The New York Post linked Zellweger with former boyfriend, Irish singer Damien Rice, in a report in its PageSix column.

Jessica Biel was voted the sexiest woman alive by men's magazine Esquire - beating Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.

Not such a good month for Lost star Josh Holloway and his wife Yessica, who were robbed at gunpoint at their Hawaiian home on 12 October.

Silver screen legend Dame Elizabeth Taylor announced she wishes her ashes be scattered in her former husband Richard Burton's home country of Wales, so she can feel close to him - despite the actor being buried in Switzerland.

Mel Gibson donated $1 million to ease the devastation wreaked by Tropical Storm Stan in Mexico.

Britain's Prince William announced he would be joining his younger brother Prince Harry in the Army.

Ailing actor Michael J Fox revealed the extent of his Parkinson's Disease symptoms on US TV interview, while Queen Elizabeth II made Dame Judi Dench a Companion Of Honor. She is one of only 65 people to hold the award.

Pamela Anderson won a restraining order against an alleged stalker on 3 October. William Peter Stansfield was accused of following the actress.

Gerard Depardieu head butted an Italian photographer when he was interrupted on a shopping trip in Florence. The French actor later excused his actions; "I would never hit a journalist. On the other hand a paparazzi who had already taken photos... (I said) 'Now be nice, you've taken your pictures, leave us be'... and this guy keeps snapping me to death. I put my hands in my pockets and I ask him why he hadn't listened to what I had told him. He tells me untruthfully, taking me for an idiot: 'Gerard, I'm not taking pictures.' So my head delivers a single butt, which means two teeth less, and to tell you the truth, I'm pretty satisfied."

Further paparazzi controversy erupted when three photographers were arrested on the set of Brad Pitt's new movie The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford following separate incidents.

The West Wing star Stockard Channing pleaded no contest to drunk driving charges on 6 October and was placed on three years probation, fined $390 and ordered to attend an alcohol education program.

Film legend Omar Sharif was sued by a Los Angeles parking attendant who alleges the star punched him and shouted racial abuse after a payment dispute.

Wesley Snipes, on the other hand, was cleared of fathering the child of a mystery woman who claims he impregnated her.

And Tom Sizemore - for whom 2005 has proved a troublesome year - had his probation reinstated a month after he was ordered to spend another 30 days in a rehabilitation center for possessing amphetamines. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paula Mabrey told the Natural Born Killers star she had seen "remarkable improvement" in his fight against drug addiction.

October brought love to a number of Tinseltown stars. Gerard Depardieu got engaged to a 30-year-unnamed woman, just six months after splitting from long-term girlfriend, Chanel model Carole Bouquet. Elizabeth Hurley looked set for a Valentines Day 2006 wedding to businessman fiancé Arun Nayer, according to an October report. Photographs of Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn kissing appeared to confirm the rumors they really are romantically attached.

Paris Hilton found love with another Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos, straight after her split from fiancé Paris Latsis. But she vehemently denied Tom Sizemore's claims the pair hooked up when she was just a teenager - although she was later proved to be lying when she insisted they had never met.

October marked the end of Kristin Scott-Thomas' marriage to husband of 17 years Francois Oliviennes - according to reports. The English Patient actress has been seen stepping out with actor Tobias Menzies. Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan also split in October - ending her engagement to Nicklas Soderblom.

But it was a much happier month for a clutch of celebrities who welcomed new life into the world. Nicolas Cage and his third wife Alice Kim Cage has their first child on 3 October - a son called Kal-El Cage. Benjamin Bratt and Talisa Soto's baby boy Mateo Bravery Bratt was born on the same day. Comedienne Mo'nique Imes-Jackson gave birth to twin sons Jonathan and David the day before. Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen became a father for the sixth time on 13 October when his wife Deanna gave birth to the couple's sixth son, Luke Ray Madsen. Former ER heart-throb Noah Wyle and his wife Tracy had a son, Auden. Heath Ledger and his fiancée Michelle Williams became first-time parents on 28 October, after welcoming the arrival of their baby girl Matilda.

In the same month, comedian John Stewart revealed he and his wife, Tracey, are expecting their second child. Woody Harrelson announced that he and his wife Laura are expecting their third child. And brave Brooke Shields - who suffered terrible post-partum depression after the birth of two-year-old daughter Roan - announced she's pregnant with her second child with husband Chris Henchy.

October wasn't quite so cheerful for Jane Fonda, who checked into hospital in France suffering back and hip problems - causing her to miss the premiere of her new documentary about her ex-husband Roger Vadim, entitled, This Billionaire Of Happiness. Shelly Winters suffered a heart attack at her Los Angeles home on 14 October. The 85-year-old made a good recovery. William Shatner was also taken to hospital straight from the set of his TV show Boston Legal on the 18th, complaining of severe lower back pain. It later turned out to be a painful kidney stone he successfully passed. Broadway star Nathan Lane performed through injury in New York in his revival of The Odd Couple - after accidentally breaking a finger by slamming it into a door. Former Sex And The City star Kristin Davis injured herself in a fall at a Spanish hotel.

Soccer legend George Best was left fighting for his life in a London hospital suffering internal bleeding. The 59-year-old had a kidney transplant in 2002, and has battled alcoholism for many years. British actor Corin Redgrave was on the mend after a near-fatal heart-attack in June. The 66-year-old was even considering a return to acting in the New Year (06). And legend Doris Day insists rumors she is critically ill are rubbish. The 81-year-old claimed she is still spritely enough to tap dance.

In October we said goodbye to British comedy legend Ronnie Barker, who died aged 76; playwright August Wilson died aged 60; US comedian Louis Bye lost his battle with cancer aged 92; and African-American civil rights icon Rosa Parks died, also aged 92.

Film and stage producer Tony Adams suffered a fatal stroke aged just 52; Dumb and Dumber star Charles Rocket committed suicide aged 56; and teenage actress Tara Correa-McMullen was tragically killed in a gang shooting in Inglewood, California. She was just 16.

NOVEMBER

November kicked off with Warren Beatty stepping up his battle with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger by recording a radio broadcast aimed at derailing his re-election campaign. The political advertisement began airing in San Francisco and southern California at the beginning of the month, and featured Beatty urging citizens to vote against the celebrity politician.

Terry Gilliam launched an astonishing attack on the former members of comedy legends Monty Python, labeling them "washed up has-beens". He blasted, "Will I work with any of them again? No. I don't think so. Have you seen them lately? They're all washed up has-beens."

In one of a series of rants against the James Bond franchise, Pierce Brosnan launched an astonishing attack on his 007 predecessor George Lazenby, dubbing him a "p**sed off Aussie".

Brosnan also rubbished reports suggesting he slapped Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher on the Die Another Day set over her punctuality problems. He said, "She didn't slap me. I didn't slap her." In a busy month, the actor also cut ties with his troubled adopted 32-year-old son Christopher, because he could no longer deal with the pain of his drug demons.

Harold Ramis amazed movie fans when he announced his intention to make a third Ghostbusters movie - called Ghostbusters In Hell and written by Dan Aykroyd - starring Ben Stiller.

Director Terry Gilliam confirmed reports he was on the verge of finally getting his The Man Who Killed Don Quixote movie back off the ground. His labor of love turned into one of the biggest movie disasters of all time in 2000, when soaring costs led to financiers pulling all funding out of the picture, which was to be the most expensive European film ever made.

Sir Sean Connery learned he is to be awarded the American Film Institute's (AFI) Life Achievement Award in June 2006, to honor his outstanding contribution to film.

Director Martin Scorsese announced his intention to quit making Hollywood blockbusters so he can concentrate on documentaries and short films.

Kung Fu Hustle was the big name winner at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards; and The Constant Gardener was the big winner the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), triumphing in three main categories - Best Film, and Best Actress and Best Actor for Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes respectively.

Capote was named the Best Feature at the Independent Feature Project's 15th annual Gotham Awards in New York. The movie's director, Bennett Miller, also claimed the Breakthrough Director award.

Paris Hilton spent an hour with police after being served a subpoena to testify against a suspected burglar Darnell Riley who has been targeting the rich and famous in Hollywood. The hotel heiress also escaped unscathed from a freak car crash in Hollywood, when her vehicle collided with a heavy goods wagon.

Tom Cruise parted ways with his publicist sister 20 months after giving her the job over his longtime PR Pat Kingsley. Lee Anne DeVette has dealt with her brother's romance with Katie Holmes and his controversial comments about Scientology and psychiatry during her time as his press officer. Cruise has replaced his sister with top Hollywood PR Paul Bloch.

Cruise also rubbished claims this month his pregnant fiancée Holmes must give birth to their child in silence in accordance with their religion Scientology - she must only remain "quiet".

An internet site offered Vincent Gallo's sperm for sale for $1 million this month. VGmerchandise - which calls itself "the official website for Vincent Gallo merchandise" - included a detailed agreement whereby wannabe mothers could pay for Gallo to inseminate them by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or even naturally for an extra $500,000, a fee it alleged he would waive if he deemed the woman attractive enough. As the year of drew to a close, nobody had bought the sperm.

Australian actor Heath Ledger blasted the paparazzi in his adopted home of Sydney this month, for kicking him "out of the city" through their overzealous behavior.

Jennifer Aniston made history by becoming men's magazine GQ's first ever Woman Of The Year. Matthew McConaughey, meanwhile, was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

Aniston and Vince Vaughn escaped legal trouble in Scottsdale, Arizona, after police pulled them over and noticed an "odor of alcohol" in the car they were driving. Cops reportedly pulled the couple over for a "minor traffic infraction" and then advised driver Vaughn not to get back behind the wheel after checking his blood alcohol levels in a field sobriety test. The couple left their car on the side of the road, after police had no probable cause to arrest Vaughn.

George Clooney dismissed British press reports which claimed he was involved in a near-drunken scuffle with a security guard outside the London premiere of Good Night, And Good Luck as inaccurate. While he said there were no punches thrown, Clooney added, "I won't stand by while someone is being insulted and maligned. No person I know would."

Bruce Willis offered $1 million to anyone who turns in al-Qaeda terror leaders.

Los Angeles County deputy district attorney John Miner, who attended Marilyn Monroe's autopsy in 1962, declared he's almost certain the movie icon died of a poisoned enema.

Kim Basinger broke her silence over the bitter custody battle between herself and ex-husband Alec Baldwin, insisting the actor's anger problems have led to her fighting against him spending more time with their daughter.

Dennis Quaid had his 30 year screen acting career honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame.

Desperate Housewives star Page Kennedy angrily denied claims he was fired from the hit US drama for allegedly flashing two female colleagues. American TV network ABC dismissed the 28-year-old citing "improper conduct" - prompting intense speculation about Kennedy's on-set behavior. And the actor, who played fugitive Caleb, feared his reputation was irreparably tarnished.

Naomi Campbell revealed her 15-year feud with fellow catwalk diva Tyra Banks was sparked because she was jealous of the fact her rival's mother was always there for her. The two models sat down for a televised summit meeting on Banks' US talk show.

Gregory Peck's star was stolen from Hollywood's Walk of Fame, leaving a gaping hole in the showbiz sidewalk. It was replaced in a simple ceremony which took place on 30 November.

Russell Crowe escaped jail at a court hearing in New York after paying a $160 fine and a six-figure sum to the hotel worker he threw a telephone at. Crowe, who attended the 20 minute hearing, received a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to third-degree assault. The 41-year-old reportedly paid $100,000 to Nestor Estrada so he would not give evidence or launch a civil action.

Former basketball star Dennis Rodman finally settled a July speeding ticket, which briefly led to a Colorado judge issuing a warrant for his arrest. Rodman, who faced a speeding and reckless driving charge, agreed to plead guilty to speeding, pay $516.50  in fines and make a $200 donation.

Kate Hudson took legal action against five publications which published photographs the actress claims falsely imply she has an eating disorder and suggested her mother Goldie Hawn and other close family members are severely worried about her weight.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson was ordered by a Brazilian judge to return to the country in March 2006 to stand trial for allegedly assaulting a cameraman.

British comic Sacha Baron Cohen's bumbling TV alter ego Borat Sagdiyev became embroiled in a legal row with Kazakhstan for allegedly portraying the central Asian nation as a country of drunken fools and Stalinists. The Kazakhstan government is threatening to sue the Ali G star, after fears enemies have recruited the spoof reporter in a vicious plot to undermine the nation. The court action came in the wake of Borat's notorious appearance as host of the MTV Europe Music Awards, which saw him arrive in an Air Kazakh airplane piloted by a one-eyed, vodka swigging local.

In a month littered with legal news stories, Sharon Stone settled the lawsuit she brought against a cosmetic surgeon in 2004. She alleged in legal papers that Dr Renato Calabria had made false claims she had undergone face-lift surgery. As part of the agreement, the doctor agreed to help disfigured children.

Orlando Bloom is being sued by the bosses of his former management company over claims he still owes them for securing high-profile film roles for him. The executives at Hollywood company The Firm are asking for in excess of $600,000 in unpaid commissions from the actor.

Robert Blake was ordered to pay his stepchildren $30 million after a civil court jury declared he was responsible for his ex-wife Bonny Lee Bakley's death. Eight months after Blake was acquitted of murdering his wife in a lengthy criminal trial, a jury determined that the Baretta star "intentionally caused the death" of Bakley.

British royal Prince Charles took legal action against British newspaper The Mail On Sunday after inflammatory details from his private journal were published - including a scathing attack on Chinese officials. The prince slammed the Asian bureaucrats as "appalling old waxworks" in his 1997 diary, which he kept faithfully on an official tour of Hong Kong. The private papers were leaked after the heir-to-the-throne sent copies to 11 friends.

The Sopranos star Vincent Pastore plead guilty to attempting to assault his ex-girlfriend Lisa Regina in April. He was ordered to perform 70 hours of community service, attend six months of therapy and pay a $190 fine as part of his conditional discharge.

Teri Hatcher filed a libel lawsuit against publications including British newspaper the Daily Sport and US magazine National Enquirer after it was claimed she had sex with men in a van outside her Los Angeles home. In December, she revealed she decided to sue when she learned she was accused of leaving her daughter unsupervised during the alleged romps.

Aaron Spelling filed a lawsuit against a nurse and her attorney for allegedly breaking a confidentiality agreement and sending letters around Hollywood implying the legendary US TV producer sexually harassed her.

Lost stars Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros were both arrested in Hawaii for driving while drunk, in two separate incidents within fifteen minutes of each other.

A number of high profile relationships ended in November. Leonardo DiCaprio split from his girlfriend Gisele Bundchen; Bad Boys II star Gabrielle Union announced she and her husband Chris Howard had split; Tori Spelling filed official papers in response to her actor husband Charlie Shanian's request for divorce.

And, following months of speculation about the state of their three-year marriage, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey officially split.

Keira Knightley was baffled by reports romantically linking her to Bodyrockers star Kaz James, because she's never met him. And British actor Jason Statham was left amused by reports linking him to Pamela Anderson, because he has never spoken to her.

Charlie Sheen confirmed he and his wife Denise Richards were officially back together by proudly flashing his wedding ring on a US TV program The Late Late Show.

Good news for basketball star Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa, who announced they're expecting their second child in May 2006; Jennifer Beals and her husband Ken L Dixon had a daughter; and Tia Carrere and her husband Simon Wakelin were celebrating after the birth of their daughter Bianca.

Angelina Jolie's estranged father Jon Voight found love with soul diva Diana Ross after the odd couple were introduced by Motown founder Berry Gordy.

Jude Law and Sienna Miller were trying to rescue their relationship after agreeing to put their infidelities behind them. Miller said, "We're working things out. We've had a rough ride."

A number of deaths filled the news in November. Soccer legend George Best died in hospital in London at the age of 59; actress Sheree North died aged 72; Geoffrey Keen, best known for starring in five James Bond films, died at the age of 89; actor Harold Stone died of natural causes aged 92; Marlon Brando's actress sister Jocelyn Brando died aged 86; Back To The Future actress Wendie Jo Sperber lost her battle with breast cancer aged 46.

Moustapha Akkad, the executive producer of the Halloween films, died in hospital from injuries sustained in a series of hotel bomb attacks that hit Jordan. He was 69.

Von Ryan's Express novelist David Westheimer died of heart failure aged of 66; Star Trek writer Michael Piller died aged 57; novelist and essayist John Fowles died aged 79; British royal and photographer Lord Lichfield died after suffering a stroke aged 66; wrestler Eduardo Gory Guerrero was discovered dead in his Minneapolis hotel room on 13 November, just hours before a scheduled performance in a World Wrestling Entertainment show. He was 38.

DECEMBER

The festive month of December began with Kate Moss was said to be "scared" to return to her native England because she feared prosecution over her alleged drug abuse, according to her ex-boyfriend Pete Doherty. He said, "Kate can't come back to England because of her situation with the police."

Moss also spoke for the first time about her tumultuous on/off love affair with Doherty. She didn't hold back: "He's a user in every sense of the word. He makes me sick. Yes, I loved him, but I was taken in by his little-boy-lost routine. He has nearly cost me everything."

Heather Mills McCartney won a major victory for animal rights group People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA), after prompting US clothing store J Crew to ditch its furs. McCartney had urged shoppers to boycott the store until bosses agreed to end fur sales.

Oprah Winfrey ended her 16-year "feud" with fellow chat show host David Letterman when she appeared on his program. No sooner had the interview begun, both declared there had never been any real animosity between them.

In an ongoing saga, Sacha Baron Cohen's alter-ego Borat Sagdiyev's jokes about his 'homeland' angered Kazakhstan's government so much, they took to advertising their country's achievements in a four-page feature in The New York Times.

Hit MTV reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County came under fire from local residents who accused program makers of exploiting its teenage stars and ruining their seaside town.

CNN TV presenter Nancy Grace won a permanent restraining order against mental health patient Joseph Raymond Loegering, who she claims has been stalking her.

Sir Anthony Hopkins launched a scathing attack on British theatre's "pomposity and arrogance" - and he insisted he will never return to the London stage.

In movie news, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were forced to flee the New York set of their new movie El Cantante after an electrical fire broke out beneath J.Lo's trailer.

French movie Cache (Hidden) grabbed a trio of top gongs at the European Film Awards in Berlin, Germany. Cache film-maker Michael Haneke was named Best Director, the thriller's male lead Daniel Auteuil was awarded the Best Actor gong, and the movie's producers were presented with the Best Film award.

Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain was hailed the finest movie of 2005 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Lee was honored as Best Director for the film in the reviewers' choice - which is a strong indicator for the 2006 Academy Awards. Elsewhere, Phillip Seymour Hoffman was picked as Best Actor for his role in Capote, and his co-star Catherine Keener was named Best Supporting Actress.

George Clooney's Good Night, And Good Luck joined western Brokeback Mountain as a frontrunner for a Best Film Oscar after landing the National Board Of Review's top prize. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) were named Best Actor and Best Actress respectively by the US organization.

Brokeback Mountain increasingly began to look a likely winner at the 2006 Oscars when it picked up seven