Buzz Briefs: Kirsten Dunst, Winfrey's Mom

Man Sentenced For Burglarizing Kirsten Dunst's NYC Hotel

A drug addict who was arrested on charges of burglarizing "Spider-Man" star Kirsten Dunst's New York City hotel penthouse suite has been sentenced to 4½ years in prison.

Jarrod Beinerman was arrested on burglary and larceny charges after a security camera captured his movements in Manhattan's SoHo Grand Hotel early Aug. 9. He was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of attempted burglary.

Police say cash, cameras, an iPod, wallets and purses were stolen from Dunst's suite.

Defense lawyer Mitchell Elman says his 33-year-old client "admitted being in the hotel." He says Beinerman has been ordered to undergo drug treatment.

Elman also says Beinerman faces sentencing Sept. 10 on a drug charge in Brooklyn.

High-End Store Sues Winfrey's Mom For Unpaid Bill

A high-end clothing store in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is suing Oprah Winfrey's mother for failing to pay her bill.

The civil complaint says Vernita Lee of Milwaukee owed Valentina nearly $156,000 for purchases and interest as of July 1st and has failed to make the monthly minimum payment of $2,000.

Store attorney Joseph Niebler Sr. says his client tried to resolve the matter with Lee before filing the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit says Lee told store officials she doesn't think she owes the money. Reached by telephone, Lee declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Valentina co-owner Tony Chirchirillo says a $150,000 bill isn't unusual for a client with a full calendar of social events.

A nonbinding mediation session is set for September 16th.

Cliff Richard Dishes On Relationship With Priest In Autobiography

Pop star Cliff Richard has written about his relationship with a former Roman Catholic priest in an autobiography excerpted in a British newspaper on Thursday.

Richard, who has had more No. 1 songs in Britain than the Beatles or Elvis Presley, shares his home with John McElynn, identified in media reports as a native of New York City. That was not news; the relationship has not been secret.

However, the 67-year-old singer comments on the relationship in his new autobiography titled "My Life, My Way" but also insists that his sexuality - a topic of enduring interest to some - is no one's business.

Excerpts from the book were carried in Thursday's edition of the Daily Express newspaper.

In the book, Richard says that McElynn looks after the singer's properties. "He has also become a companion, which is great because I don't like living alone, even now," Richard said.

He added: "As for my sexuality I am sick to death of the media's speculation about it. What business is it of anyone else's what any of us are as individuals? I don't think my fans would care either way."

Richard, the first rock star to gain a knighthood, has been Sir Cliff since 1995.

Usher, Urban & Bedingfield Kick Off NFL Season With Free Concert

Usher, Keith Urban and Natasha Bedingfield are kicking off the NFL season with a free concert that's expected to draw thousands to Manhattan's Columbus Circle.

They are scheduled to perform Thursday afternoon. A video about the Super Bowl champion New York Giants will be shown before the NFL Kickoff show.

Traffic at the busy intersection at the foot of Central Park is expected to come to a virtual stop as fans and speakers - including Mayor Michael Bloomberg - turn out for the event.

The NFL will air portions of the concert live on its network prior to Thursday night's game between the Giants and the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium.

Gene Simmons Sued Over IndyCar Deal

A Los Angeles man claims in a lawsuit that Gene Simmons took him for a ride on a marketing deal with the Indy Racing League.

Allan Brown on Wednesday sued Simmons and two business partners, claiming the group cut him out of a 2006 deal between the Kiss bassist and the racing league.

Brown is seeking unspecified damages and is claiming fraud and slander. His suit alleges he helped broker the deal between Simmons and the IRL, but was cut out of the contract while on a personal vacation.

He also claims Simmons and his business partners mischaracterized him as "lazy" and "rich" to racing league officials.

Simmons promoted IndyCar racing in 2006, and even co-wrote a song, "I Am INDY."

Judge Won't Let Up On Spears For Driving Without A Valid License

A judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a misdemeanor driving without-a-valid-license case against Britney Spears.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James A. Steele issued his ruling after reviewing statutes cited by prosecutors and Spears' attorney, J. Michael Flanagan.

The ruling means the singer may go on trial in October.

Flanagan had asked that the case be dismissed during a hearing on Tuesday. He said that prosecutors were targeting Spears because she is a celebrity. He said that, normally, people cited for similar offenses are ordered to pay a fine if they can produce a valid license.

Steele's ruling disagreed, saying prosecutors properly charged Spears.

The case is the last remnants of a criminal case city prosecutors lodged against Spears after she hit a parked car in August 2007 and left without notifying the owner. She was originally cited for hit-and-run and driving without a license, but the hit-and-run charge was dropped.

Flanagan said Tuesday that Spears had a valid Louisiana driver's license when she was involved in an accident last year. He says she got a California license within six days of being notified of the infraction.

Steele, however, stated in his ruling that documents in other legal cases involving Spears indicate she was a California resident for 17 months before the offense. A person has 10 days after establishing residency in California to get a license, Steele's ruling states.

"Peanuts" Animator Bill Melendez Dies At 91

Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on scores of movies and television specials, has died. He was 91.

Melendez died of natural causes Tuesday at St. John's Health Center, according to publicist Amy Goldsmith.

Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios and worked on Mickey Mouse cartoons and classic animated features such as "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia."

He went on to animate Peanuts specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was the voice of Snoopy, who never spoke intelligible words but issued expressive howls, sighs and sobs.

Melendez created Emmy-winning specials based on the cartoon characters Cathy and Garfield the cat. He was involved in animated versions of the Babar the elephant books and the C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

He also was co-nominee for an Academy Award in 1971 for the music for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown."

In all, his productions earned six Emmys from some 19 nominations.

Mackenzie Phillips Charged With Drug Possession

Former teen star Mackenzie Phillips was charged Wednesday with felony possession of drugs for allegedly carrying narcotics at Los Angeles International Airport.

District attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison said Phillips was charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, heroin and cocaine.

She was arrested last week at the airport after failing a security screening while trying to catch a flight to New York. A secondary search turned up needles and suspected drugs, authorities said.

Phillips' attorney, Blair Berk, told a judge Wednesday that the actress has entered rehab.

She also faces a misdemeanor count of unauthorized possession of a needle or syringe.

Phillips, 48, is out on $20,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct.3.

She is the daughter of John Phillips, founder of The Mamas and the Papas pop group. She was fired from "One Day At a Time" in 1982 for drug-related reasons.