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Nasty Breakups and Divorces

Jon & Kate's Divorce Could Be Finalized by Year's End

Originally posted 11/21/2009 09:35PM

Jon Gosselin showed up for a daylong divorce arbitration hearing Saturday with a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses for Kate – only to have her turn them down and later leave the courthouse empty-handed.

But while Jon wasn't able to say it with flowers, the former couple were able to express themselves well in other ways, leading to a "successful and productive" session, his lawyer Mark Heller tells PEOPLE.

"This has been called the real-life War of the Roses," says Heller, referring to the 1989 black comedy in which Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner played bitterly battling spouses, "and he brought that as a peace offering to break the ice and try to bring the war to an end."

Things went so well for the Jon & Kate Plus 8 stars that the arbitration's scheduled second day, planned for Monday, is no longer necessary. The arbitrator is expected to rule in a month, and Heller says "it's possible" the contentious divorce could be finalized by the end of the year.

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Credit: Playgirl

Playgirl Releases (Waist-Up) Levi Johnston Photos

Originally posted 11/21/2009 01:15PM

Photos from Levi Johnston's much-anticipated Playgirl pictorial made their debut early Saturday morning, with the father of Sarah Palin's grandson losing his shirt but keeping the poses decidedly PG-13.

According to Daniel Nardicio, a spokesperson for Playgirl, additional photos of Johnston will be released on a weekly basis. Johnston, 19, said earlier this month, "People won't be disappointed. It will be tasteful."

Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Courteney Cox's 'Family Matter' Halts Cougar Town Filming

Originally posted 11/21/2009 11:25AM

Production on Cougar Town has been suspended for now while star Courteney Cox attends to a family matter.

Neither reps for Arquette, 45, nor the show disclosed what the issue was.

In a statement, an ABC rep says: "We can confirm production on Cougar Town has been temporarily shut down in order for Courteney to deal with a private family matter."

Credit: Houston Chronicle/AP; Globe

Michael Jackson Doctor Investigation Will Go into 2010

Originally posted 11/21/2009 10:10AM

It will be at least a couple of more months before authorities decide whether to arrest Dr. Conrad Murray, the personal physician who treated Michael Jackson before his death.

"A decision (on whether to prosecute) will be made in 2010. It is not going to be made this year," LAPD Commander Patrick Gannon tells PEOPLE.

Although Jackson's June 25 death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner, which found lethal levels of the toxic anesthetic propofol in his body, and Murray admitted to administering propofol at Jackson's bedside to help him sleep, authorities have to determine whether Murray was solely responsible, and to what extent any negligence can be considered criminal.

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TV News

Nick Lachey to Host New Singing Competition Show

Originally posted 11/20/2009 06:15PM

For those who shared the Aussies' outrage over Britney Spears, here's a new TV show for you: The Sing-Off, a competition you can not sync your lips into.

Hosted by Nick Lachey, the four-night NBC series premiering Dec. 14 features eight singing groups vying for an Epic Records/Sony Recording contract, and the only instruments allowed will be their own voices.

"There is nowhere to hide when you're doing an a cappella song," Lachey, the former member of 98 Degrees (and, he reveals, a barbershop quartet before that), tells PEOPLE. "There’s no band behind you and dubbing. It's just you. It’s just them naked on stage and what they have done to prepare is what will show through in that moment." – Jennifer Garcia and Mike Fleeman