There's a cure for Bieber Fever -- and it sounds very painful. A paparazzo who allegedly couldn't get enough of that Justin Bieber stuff is facing potential jail time after being targeted today by prosecutors in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office confirms to E! News criminal charges have been filed against freelance photographer Paul Raef from a July 6 high-speed freeway chase that ended with Bieber getting a speeding ticket and the shutterbug seemingly getting away.

Slideshow: Justin Bieber

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More from E! Online: Justin Bieber's alleged paparazzi chase -- City attorney's on the case!

City attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan tells E! News the 30-year-old photog faces four misdemeanor charges in all: following another vehicle too closely, reckless driving with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain, reckless driving and failing to obey the lawful order of a peace officer.

Prosecutors weighed their decision in part on whether they believed Raef endangered lives during the pursuit.

According to Mateljan, the photog drove his Toyota Rav 4 in excess of 80 miles her hour while trying to keep up with the teen idol's Fisker Karma electric sports car. The chase involved both vehicles darting across all lanes of a freeway and even riding on the shoulder, which forced other motorists to brake or swerve to avoid collision. One of those motorists was Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine, a former cop who was among those calling 911 during the pursuit.

"It was a very dangerous, chaotic situation," Zine said. "I was driving 60 to 65 miles per hour. When (Bieber) passed me, he was ... driving in a careless, reckless fashion."

More from E! Online: Justin Bieber busted in "chaotic, dangerous" speeding incident

California Highway Patrol eventually pulled Bieber over, cited him for speeding, and released the popster, but not before Raef sped off. About 30 minutes later, Justin called police to report he was being harassed on the interstate by the same Toyota. Officers eventually collared Raef after identifying his vehicle's license plate in a downtown L.A. parking garage.

If convicted, the paparazzo could face up to one year in the county jail and fines up to $3,500.

An attorney for Raef could not be reached for comment.

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Moving quickly after allegations of cheating surfaced, actress Kristen Stewart, 22, and "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, 41, have issued very public apologies for the cheating scandal that surfaced after photos of the two of them in a close embrace were leaked.

Stewart, who has been dating "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson for three years, first issued a statement to People saying, "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."

Not long after, Sanders apologized via People saying, "I am utterly distraught about the pain I have caused my family. My beautiful wife and heavenly children are all I have in this world. I love them with all my heart. I am praying that we can get through this together."

Sanders is married to British actress Liberty Ross (who actually played Stewart's mother in "Snow White and the Huntsman") and the couple have two children. Ross has not spoken publicly about the "indiscretion," but interestingly, she's said to have deleted her Twitter account after hearing about the allegations that her husband and Stewart had an affair, but not before tweeting the singular word, "Wow."

Pattinson has yet to comment.

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Updated at 5:50 p.m. PT: LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson's three children were given a new guardian on Wednesday in an escalating power struggle within the famous musical family involving the singer's multimillion-dollar estate and the well-being of his elderly mother.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave temporary guardianship of the children to their cousin Tito Jackson Jr., 34, at his request, after a chaotic week of conflicting reports over the health and whereabouts of family matriarch Katherine Jackson.

Hours after Wednesday's court hearing, Katherine Jackson gave her first TV interview since the often wild and conflicting reports surfaced, denying she had been kidnapped by her adult children and saying she was devastated that Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14 and Blanket, 10, "have been taken away from me."

Katherine Jackson, 82, who was appointed guardian of the kids in her son Michael's will, was reported missing and unreachable by granddaughter Paris last week.

She was later said by family members to be resting under doctor's order at the Arizona home of one of her daughters.

"There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped," she told ABC News in the interview.

"I am here today to let everybody to know that I am good and fine ... My children would never do anything to me like that," she added.

Katherine Jackson said the court ruling that gave temporary guardianship to her grandson Tito was "based on a bunch of lies."

"I am devastated that while I've been away, my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home," she added. 

The family dispute broke into the open earlier this week in an angry confrontation, seen on security video, between Paris and her aunt, singer Janet Jackson, at the clan's large compound near Los Angeles.

Janet Jackson and four of her siblings are embroiled in a dispute over the validity of the will left by their brother Michael after his sudden death in 2009. The will placed his estate in the hands of two non-family executors.

At Wednesday's court hearing, attorneys for both Tito Jackson Jr. and Katherine Jackson raised questions over whether her absence from her Los Angeles home was voluntary.

Tito Jackson Jr., the son of Michael Jackson's older brother Tito, told Beckloff that he spoke on Tuesday to Katherine Jackson but that she was talking strangely and seemed to be speaking in code.

"I never heard my grandmother talk like that," he said. "I'd ask simple questions and she wasn't sharp."

Another brother, Randy Jackson, said on Twitter Wednesday that suggestions his mother was being held against her will were "absurd."

"Enough already!! We've already lost one family member," Randy Jackson tweeted, claiming the executors of his brother's estate were using the media to "spin their lies and divide our family."

Michael Jackson's will stipulated that money earned by the estate would benefit his mother and his kids. But Randy, Janet and three other siblings say the pop star's signature was forged and that he was not in California on the date it was signed.

The executors of the estate insist the will is valid and said earlier this week they were concerned about protecting the kids from "undue influences, bullying and greed."

Since Jackson's death, the executors have approved numerous projects including a posthumous concert rehearsal film "This Is It", a Cirque du Soleil show, and releases of new and old Jackson music and videos.

Music publication Billboard estimated in 2010 that the "Thriller" singer's estate generated about $1 billion in revenue in just the first year following his death from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

According to financial documents filed recently with a Los Angeles probate judge, the estate has earned $475 million in gross profits since Jackson's death, and much of the singer's estimated $500 million debt has been paid off.

Related content:

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Mark Wilson / Getty Images file

Sarah Palin in Washington, D.C., in February 2012.

Might as well dance and have fun. That’s the advice former Alaska governor Sarah Palin handed out when she popped up at a poolside party held by NBC at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Tuesday to promote the network's new shows.

The reason for her appearance at the shindig? Husband Todd Palin is one of the contestants in “Survivor” creator Mark Burnett and “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf’s co-venture, "Stars Earn Stripes." It's a show that puts celebs -- including Nick Lachey, Dean Cain and Dolvett Quince -- into combat training with special-ops guys and one current SWAT officer. The stars not only earn stripes, they also earn bucks for their military, veterans or first-responder charities.

Earlier Tuesday, Todd explained to reporters at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour why he decided to participate in the program. “The motivation is shedding a light on the military, on our veterans and our first responders, and raising money for military-based charities,” he said.

And how does the Palins' son Track, who serves in the Army Reserve, feel?

“He’s always up for a good laugh, so he encouraged me to do it,” Todd joked.

His wife, who wasn’t at the panel, later dropped in with security guards flanking her. When asked why she didn’t participate in the show herself, Sarah told reporters that she wouldn’t be able to do something like that.

“There’s no way I could do what they do. Wait until you see. It will blow you away,” Sarah said.  “The physical and mental acumen that was required of these competitors was amazing.”

Sarah also told TODAY.com about how working with Burnett on “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” was the catalyst for her husband to compete in these extreme conditions, which included mock war games and parachute jumps.

“We just knew this would be such a great opportunity to not only work with Mark, but to give money to such a worthy cause – to the military people,” she told us. “To work with Mark again was just an added benefit.”

She also said she knows that every time a member of her family goes on a reality TV show, as daughter Bristol has done with "Life's a Tripp" and "Dancing With the Stars," they know they become a target for the media.

“It doesn’t matter what you do, you are going to be criticized so you might as well live life vibrantly and have fun,” Palin told TODAY.com. “As my daughter Bristol says, ‘Critics are going to criticize, haters are going to hate, so you might as well dance.’ It has become our family mantra.”

"Stars Earn Stripes" premieres on Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Based on the clip above, do you think you could physically participate in such a show? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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Charles Sykes / AP file

Sorry, Jessica Simpson -- you're on the "do not buy" list at one Chicago music store.

Most music stores are all about telling customers what to buy. But Laurie’s Planet Of Sound, a Chicago-based retail and second-hand record store, has officially created a list of artists whose CDs it has no interest in buying or reselling.

According to the breakdown, Melissa Etheridge, Jessica Simpson, Soul Asylum, Jewel, and Perry Farrell are among the many musicians turned away from its shelves.

The list, established three or four years ago by an employee, has been officially dubbed “The Do Not Never Ever Buy List.” It itemizes over 50 artists and a few generalized collections -- almost all soundtracks –- that the store refuses to purchase in CD format.

Manager Nick Myers told NBC News that the list was created specifically for CDs, not records, due to waning sales of that format.

“You begin to reflect what your customer base is looking for. In our case, it’s a lot of indie rock and classic rock; classic music of the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s until now,” Myers says. “I’ve been here for 10 years and a lot of that stuff we used to sell, no problem, but over time, (it) falls out of favor…It’s just kind of specific for us, being in Chicago, in a dense, urban demographic.”

Meant as a guide for employees and also a joke for customers, “The Do Not Never Ever Buy List” has been posted behind the register desk until recently, and continues to grow over time. Also included with the undesirables are artists like Fuel, Macy Gray, Journey, Foreigner, and “60s/70s Artists’ CDs from the 80s/90s/2000s.”

Myers explains, “An example of that would be like a David Crosby record from 1999 –- artists who came into popularity in the ‘60s and ‘70s –- (we won't buy any) of their later CDs.”

He also clarified a line nixing, “everything Pitchforky.”

“The ‘15 minutes of fame,’ flavor-of-the-moment CD on Pitchfork –- in one year, be wary of it,” Myers notes, referring to the popular music blog. “I don’t know if it has quite the power it once did. It used to be anybody that got a good review on Pitchfork, we would have to make sure we got it in because we would have a flood of people come in and say, ‘I heard about it on Pitchfork, I want to buy it.’”

Late pop icon Whitney Houston was added to the list prior to her death in February, although Myers notes that now her greatest hits album would probably sell fairly well.

So far, few customers or industry representatives have complained about the list. Myers said everyone finds it pretty funny, though some did accuse the store of embracing a high-brow, “holier than thou” attitude.

Myers adds, “There were some negative comments…But I can’t think of a record label per se that came forward and was like, ‘Why don’t you like k.d. lang?’”

What artists would make your own personal "do not buy" list? Tell us on Facebook.

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Andrea Howlett / Splash News

Kaitlyn Leeb plays the famous three-breasted prostitute in the remake of "Total Recall."

The original "Total Recall" movie, released in 1990 and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, has many memorable scenes. In one scene, Schwarzenegger painfully pulls a gigantic tracking device out of his nostril. In another, his eyes swell to near bursting (it's even worse for the film's bad guy in a different scene).

But one of the most memorable scenes is brief: A bar prostitute offers her services up to Schwarzenegger's character and flashes her chest at him, revealing she has three breasts.

 And when fans heard that "Total Recall" was being remade this year, with Colin Farrell in the Schwarzenegger role, well, that was one of the questions they had: Will that character be back?

Indeed she will. The Toronto Star ran a feature on the actress who plays her, Toronto native Kaitlyn Leeb, who appears in the film's trailer coming on to Farrell's character.

Leeb told the paper she enjoyed walking around Comic-Con in San Diego this summer displaying the prosthetics, which took up to five hours to put on.

“It bugged me that people thought I was walking around Comic Con with my breasts hanging out,” she told the paper. “They’re not mine.”

Will you see the "Total Recall" remake? Tell us on Facebook.

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Kmazur / WireImage

98 Degrees.

Put on your slap bracelets and pour yourself a big glass of clear cola, the 1990s revival continues with famed boy band 98 Degrees reuniting to perform live on TODAY on Aug. 17.

The band is known for such hits as "Thank God I Found You," "Because of You," "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" and "The Hardest Thing."

The band consists of brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons. Nick Lachey starred with former wife Jessica Simpson on the reality show "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," played a regular role on "Charmed," and hosted "The Sing-Off." Drew Lachey won the second season of "Dancing With the Stars." Timmons pursued a solo career, and Jeffre moved into politics and activism.

The day after their TODAY performance, Aug. 18, the group will perform at the MixTape music festival in Hershey, Pa.

"In the ten years since our last performance as 98 Degrees we've each achieved personal success and grown as individuals, while remaining a close-knit family," the group told Us Weekly. "We have also been fortunate to have the support and enduring love of our fans every step of the way. With so much to celebrate, this reunion is going to be one big party, so whether you tune in to the Today Show or join us at the MixTape Festival, everyone's invited."

Unlike many other bands, 98 Degrees never formally broke up, but the group hasn't performed together since 2005, when member Justin Jeffre was running for mayor of Cincinnati.

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In an effort to "beat the Master to it," comedian Tim Heidecker has released his own epic song, "Titanic," inspired by Bob Dylan.

First details of Bob Dylan's upcoming album "Tempest"

Last week, Dylan revealed that his upcoming album "Tempest" will feature a 14-minute title track about the sunken ship. Heidecker's take is 15 minutes, 11 seconds long and accompanied by a video.

Heidecker's version is available now through his website. Bob Dylan's "Tempest" is set for release on September 11.

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Warner Bros.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Kevin Costner in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."

Kevin Costner is saying he hasn't received any profits from his "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" film in the past two years and is accusing Morgan Creek Productions of being the prince of thieves by hiding money from him.

A lawsuit filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court by the actor starts out with very harsh words for Morgan Creek, the independent studio that backed the 1991 blockbuster. "Every actor hopes to star in a great movie that makes substantial profits," Costner's lawsuit alleges. "But if you're hoping to earn profits based on the success of your film and you want to be paid on a timely basis, then one company you certainly do not want to do business with is Defendant Morgan Creek Productions."

The film, directed by Kevin Reynolds, grossed about $390 million worldwide and tens of millions more in TV, home video and other sources.

Costner, represented by Marty Singer and Michael Holtz at Lavely & Singer, says that Morgan Creek promised it would share profits with him but "when it came time to report and account ... Morgan Creek was less than forthcoming," with no participation statements rendered in 2010 and 2011 and late statements from 2004 to 2009.

Stephen Baldwin denied new trial against Kevin Costner

Reached for comment, Morgan Creek CEO James Robinson characterized the dispute with Costner as minor and insignificant. "Why is it after 22 years Mr. Costner finds fault with our accounting procedures or for that matter our way of doing business?" Robinson says. "We have paid him over $40 million. I think we've been very nice to him. I wonder how much money he has made from other films where he is participant. We've been very straight with him."

The actor says that the studio has simply stopped sending him accounting statements, and the ones it previously provided "intentionally concealed information and employed inaccurate and improper accounting practices designed to deprive Mr. Costner of his backend participation."

Costner's deal, according to the complaint, entitled him to 12.5 percent of the adjusted gross receipts of the picture in excess of $60 million and 15 percent of the AGR in excess of $100 million. As for home distribution, Costner says he was entitled to amounts received by Morgan Creek less a 25 percent distribution fee or 10 percent of the wholesale price of gross receipts, whichever was greater.

In the lawsuit, Morgan Creek is accused of making financial arrangements to hide money from him.

Kevin Costner in talks to star in Disney's sports drama "McFarland"

Costner's agreement for "Robin Hood" purportedly did not give Morgan Creek the right to make any outright sale of rights to the picture without obtaining the assumption of obligations to Costner. Despite that, in 2006, Morgan Creek is said to have assigned to Robinson's wholly-owned international division (Inverness) the foreign distribution rights to 41 of its film titles including "Robin Hood" for $21 million.

"Defendants breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by packaging the Picture in the international territories for free, basic and pay television distribution and taking the package fees and allocating them evenly across all pictures in the package, rather than allocating the package fees according to the performances and true value of the pictures in the package."

The claim calls to mind producer Alan Ladd, Jr.'s claims against Warner Bros. for underallocating license fees in large packages sold overseas and to TV outlets. That lawsuit was settled after a jury ruled in Ladd's favor.

Costner's lawsuit also takes exception to other alleged Morgan Creek acts.

The actor's deal also purportedly limited the deduction of certain checking and collection costs to one percent of gross receipts. The lawsuit says that Morgan Creek has violated this by deducting $2 million depite no evidence that costs were actually incurred and despite the fact this was more than two times what Warner Bros. as the distributor charged Morgan Creek.

In addition, Costner says that Morgan Creek has failed to report all revenues received on television sales and failed to disclose the amount of home video gross receipts and instead reported 10 percent of Warner Bros.' gross. The actor's attorneys say that the alleged fraudulent concealment only was discovered after an audit was conducted last autumn.

He's now suing for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, and unjust enrichment. He's seeking general and punitive damages to be proven at trial.

Responding to the allegations, Robinson points out that "Robin Hood" was a film that came out more than two decades ago and that it isn't unusual in the industry for participant statements for such films to come late. He says that the two sides were in negotiations before the lawsuit was filed and that Costner's reps were taking inconsistent positions with respect to accounting. He adds that Morgan Creek uses a "very fair formula" that was modeled after studios, and says in reference to allegedly underreported income such as television revenues, "If we received it, we reported it."

Morgan Creek has used Patty Glaser as its litigator in the past. Unless resolved, the dispute appears primed to be a fight in court between two A-list Hollywood lawyers.

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Mark Ralston / AFP - Getty Images file

Michael Jackson's brother Randy spoke out on Tuesday about the latest drama surrounding the famous family, from the issue of the King of Pop's will and mom Katherine Jackson's "disappearance."

In an interview with Al Sharpton on MSNBC's "Politics Nation" Tuesday, Jackson accused the executors of Michael's estate -- John Branca and John McClain -- of "using the children to try and put pressure on my mom to try and come out and get her to say things in their favor, to kind of clean up their image." 

Last week, Jackson siblings Janet, Jermaine, Rebbie, Tito and Randy penned a letter accusing the men of fraud, claiming that Michael's will is "fake, flawed and fraudulent."

It was a point that Randy Jackson reiterated in his interview. "(Branca and McClain) know that they've been caught. They know that they've falsified a document," he said. "What they're trying to do is kind of put the attention on something else when the attention is on this letter for us."

Branca and McClain also made their own statement earlier Tuesday: "We are acutely concerned about the welfare of Mrs. Jackson, and most particularly with Michael's minor children. We are concerned that we do what we can to protect them from undue influences, bullying, greed, and other unfortunate circumstances."

Katherine Jackson -- who is the guardian of Prince, Paris and Blanket -- was reported missing last week, but officials have since closed report after looking into the situation. Paris tweeted Monday and Tuesday that she hadn't seen or spoken to her grandmother in days. "This isn't like her at all .. i wanna talk directly to my grandmother!" she wrote. 

"My mom is great," Jackson told Sharpton. "She's relaxing. She's having fun. She's with my sister Rebbie." He also said that his mother's health had been poor, and it was on doctor's orders that she "isolate herself from the outside world and rest."

He also denied that he and his siblings are keeping the children from their grandmother. According to Jackson, when he went along to Katherine's home Monday to bring the children to their grandma, security at the home stopped the family. "Yesterday, we did go to the home to let Paris and Prince know that they can visit with or talk to their grandma at any time because we felt that someone was trying to twist the story and make it feel as though we were the problem."

Jackson also pointed out that the dispute with the executors "is not about money." "For us as a family, this is not about being left out of the will or a fight over the children," he told Sharpton. "This is about a family that has questions, that has lost a family member."

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Actor Sherman Hemsley, famous for playing Archie Bunker's former neighbor George Jefferson in the "All in the Family" spin-off "The Jeffersons," has died at 74, his representative said in a statement to Reuters.

The El Paso, Texas, police said in a press release that the actor was found at a residence "without signs of life," and that the cause of death is pending autopsy results. Police do not suspect foul play.

On "The Jeffersons," Hemsley played a dry-cleaning tycoon who'd worked his way up from a small store to a chain. Isabel Sanford played his wife Louise, whom George often called Weezie, and Marla Gibbs played the couple's maid, Florence.

As with producer Norman Lear's "All in the Family," the show didn't shy away from racial humor and jokes. Hemsley's George was in his own way as stubborn and prejudiced as Archie Bunker, regularly trying to exploit his own maid, and often delivering jokes at the expense of Helen and Tom Willis, a married couple of different races.

"The Jeffersons" ran from 1975 to 1985. After that show ended, Hemsley moved on to star as Deacon Earnest Frye on the sitcom "Amen."

Hemsley also performed on Broadway and appeared on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Hughleys" and "Clunkers." He also voiced Triceratops B.P. Richfield on Jim Henson's "Dinosaurs."

Hemsley was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe, both for his "Jeffersons" role.

In 1989, he released a single, "Ain't That A Kick in the Head."

Hemsley never married and has no children. He was living in El Paso, Texas at the time of his death.

Share your favorite memories of his roles on our Facebook page.

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Chris Haston / NBC

Updated at 5:34 p.m. PT: An NBC source told TODAY.com that the network was surprised by Sharon Osbourne's Tuesday morning tweet that she was leaving "America's Got Talent." The revelation came out of the blue on a day when the show was taping with the longtime judge, and no one at the network seemed to know she was considering leaving the position. 

Paul Telegdy, president of alternative programming, told us that she's on board for at least the rest of the season.

"We're in the middle of the season and nothing has changed. It was just two friends chatting on Twitter, it didn't mean anything," Telegdy told TODAY.com at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour in Beverly Hills. 

Original story: Let the judging search begin. Sharon Osbourne — the longest tenured judge on "America's Got Talent" — has said she won’t return for next season.

Sharon shocked fans this morning by breaking the news via Twitter: “My darling @HowardStern, money is not the reason I’m not returning to @nbcagt, it’s because…”

The rest, for now, is a mystery.

More from AGTNews.com: Stern won't say yes to season 8 ... yet

On his radio show Monday, Stern suggested the Osbourne may not return because she was seeking too much money.

NBC is mum.  Paul Telegdy, the network’s head of alternative programming, tells us only that “We love Sharon” and would not confirm or deny the reports.

The news couldn’t come at a worse time for the variety show. "AGT" must contend with contract renegotiations with Howard Stern.

More from AGTNews.com: Murray the Magician gets married

Earlier in the day, Telegdy said he was “thrilled” with Stern.  ”He’s proven himself to be a wonderful addition to the panel of judges on the show.”

“We’re thrilled with the performance of the shows and delighted if Howard wants to come back.”

If Sharon does leave, who would you like to see replace her? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Additional reporting by Susan C. Young, TODAY.com contributor.

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Christian Bale is making a quiet trip to Aurora, Colo. to visit with the victims of last week's movie theater massacre.

With free time thanks to the cancellations of premieres and press appearances for "The Dark Knight Rises" in Mexico and Japan, Bale took it upon himself to visit, Warner Bros. told The Denver Post.

More from THR: 'Dark Knight Rises' director Christopher Nolan calls Colorado shooting 'devastating'

On Friday, the Oscar-winner issued a brief statement expressing his sympathies to those impacted by the mass shooting, allegedly carried out by James Holmes, at the midnight screening of Bale's final Batman film.

“Words cannot express the horror that I feel,” he said at the time. "I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."

More from THR: 'The Dark Knight Rises' cast -- What's next for Christian Bale and company?

Last week, a petition urging Bale to visit the victims in Colorado emerged online.

Slideshow: Shooting at Batman screening in Aurora, Colo.

Ted S. Warren / AP

As many as 12 people were killed and 50 injured at a shooting at the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora, Colo. early Friday during the showing of the latest Batman movie.

Launch slideshow

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The cast of "Modern Family" has declared war on producer 20th Century Fox Television.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that cast members Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara have filed suit today in Los Angeles Superior Court to void their contracts. The legal theory, according to sources who have seen the lawsuit, is that their deals violate California's "7 Year Rule," which prohibits personal services contracts for longer than 7 years. This tactic is a common one for actors who seek to void contracts during renegotiations for increased compensation.

The move comes amid a salary standoff that has already delayed today's scheduled table read that would have marked the start of the fourth season of "Modern Family," one of TV's top-rated comedies. The cast, minus Ed O'Neill, who is paid more than his co-stars and is negotiating separately, has hired litigator Jeff McFarland with LA's Quinn Emanuel firm and are pressing their case in court.

Update: A source close to the negotiations tells THR that O'Neill has decided to join his castmembers as a plaintiff in the lawsuit out of solidarity. O'Neill has his own salary beef with 20th TV but he is paid on a different track and was thus not involved in the original plans to sue. 

Photos from THR: On the set of 'Modern Family'

The six adult cast members currently have contracts through the seventh season of the show. But as THR previously reported, renegotiations are common between the third and fourth seasons, when casts of hit shows typically get bigger paychecks in exchange for agreeing to continue with the show beyond the seventh season. Sources tell THR the five cast members are being offered salary increases as follows: $150,000 per episode plus a $50,000 per episode bonus for season 4; $200,000 per episode for season 5; $225,000 for season 6; and up to $325,000 for an anticipated season 9. The cast is asking for much more, including more than double the offered salary if the show goes 8 or 9 seasons, as expected.

A rep for 20th TV declined to comment.

With the exception of O’Neill ("Married… with Children"), the actors were paid in the $65,000-an-episode range for the show’s 22-episode third season, according to sources. O’Neill is believed to have made in the $105,000 range this past year.

The series is a profit center for both the studio and the network, regularly drawing 13.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. In 2011, "Modern Family" generated $164 million in advertising revenue for ABC, up 40 percent from a year earlier, reports Kantar Media. What’s more, the multiple Emmy-winning series has proved an "American Idol"-style launching pad for the network’s other comedies, including "Happy Endings," "Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" and the upcoming alien effort "The Neighbors."

Coming out of its breakout freshman season in 2010, 20th TV inked a rich syndication deal with USA — the NBCUniversal-owned cable network’s first major comedy acquisition — for a license fee close to $1.5 million an episode, say sources. That’s roughly on par with the deal Turner’s TBS struck with Warner Bros. TV for repeats of "The Big Bang Theory." "Modern Family" is poised to reap many more millions from broadcast stations when the series rolls out in syndication in 2013, and foreign revenue is said to be particularly robust.

More from THR: Can anybody beat 'Modern Family' at 2012 Emmys?

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AFP - Getty Images file

Updated at 3:44 p.m. PT: CHICAGO -- The man convicted of murdering Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and young nephew was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, with the judge in the case deriding him as a man with "the heart of an arctic night."

William Balfour had been convicted in May of breaking into the Hudson family home and fatally shooting Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, 57, her brother Jason Hudson, 29, and her 7-year-old nephew Julian King.

Cook County Judge Charles Patrick Burns sentenced Balfour to three consecutive life terms with no opportunity for parole, plus 120 years for aggravated kidnapping and home invasion.

Prior to announcing his sentence, Burns told Balfour: "You have the heart of an arctic night. Your soul is as barren as dark space."

Hudson, wearing a tan pantsuit with a black jacket and high heels, wiped her eyes frequently during the sentencing hearing. Hudson, who won an Academy Award for her role in the movie "Dreamgirls" and a Grammy for her debut album, left the court without making a statement.

Balfour's motive was jealousy of his estranged wife Julia Hudson, Jennifer's sister, whom he threatened numerous times, saying he would kill her after he killed her family, according to witnesses at the 11-day trial that ended with his conviction on May 11.

Gregory King, father of Hudson's murdered 7-year-old nephew Julian, spoke to the court before the sentencing.

When King learned that his son had been killed, "Instantly it was like a chunk of my heart was ripped out," he said. "I felt hopeless. I was filled with rage for William Balfour, the man who murdered my son."

Hudson was the first witness in Balfour's trial. She said she had known him since grade school and had never liked him.

Speaking before the sentence was rendered, Balfour offered "my condolences" to the victim's family and his prayers to Julian King. "I still do love him," he said. He also repeated his claim of innocence.

Burns dismissed Balfour's expression of love for Hudson's nephew. "To tell us in open court that you loved that child is an insult to all of us," Burns said.

Balfour's attorneys said they planned to appeal the sentence.

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Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

Warner Bros., the studio that released "The Dark Knight Rises," confirms to NBC News that it is making a substantial donation to help victims of the July 20 shooting at a Colorado screening of that film.

The studio confirmed a report by The Hollywood Reporter that the studio will be contributing to the Aurora Victim Relief Fund, established in partnership with Colorado governor John Hickenlooper.

As described on givingfirst.org, the fund "will only be used to meet the immediate and long-term needs of victims and their families and, as funds are available, the broad needs of those affected in the community."

Warner Bros. has been praised for its reaction to the shooting. The studio canceled a planned red-carpet premiere event in Paris and pulled the trailer for its upcoming movie "Gangster Squad" from "Dark Knight Rises" showings due to a scene that features a movie-theater shooting.

Slideshow: Shooting at Batman screening in Aurora, Colo.

Pool / Getty Images

Launch slideshow

The studio would not confirm reports that the movie-theater scene is being cut from "Gangster Squad," which stars Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin and is scheduled for a September release.

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Several incidents in recent days involving screenings of the new Batman movie underscore the heightened anxiety about security at movie theaters in the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo.

-- On Monday, about 100 moviegoers in Edgewater, N.J., were evacuated from a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" after a patron saw a man opening an emergency exit, police told NJ.com.

The patron who called the police said that about 90 minutes into the show, a man stood up, walked to an emergency exit and spoke to someone outside. He then returned to his seat, but wouldn't come forward when the police arrived at the theater. The showing was canceled as a precaution.

-- A 52-year-old moviegoer in Norwalk, Calif., was arrested Sunday after allegedly shouting about a gun and the recent movie-theater shooting in Colorado, sheriff's officials said Monday.

Clark Tabor allegedly created the disturbance during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," sheriff's officials said.

Several witnesses told police the suspect appeared to hold his cellphone in the air and yelled, "Does anyone have a gun?" and "I should go off like in Colorado."

Tabor was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and is being held on $50,000 bail plus unrelated warrants, police said.

No weapons were found on the suspect, in the theater or its surrounding area, or in Tabor's residence, police said.

-- Also on Sunday, a fight broke out in a Pittsburgh screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” No weapons were found and no arrests were made, officials said.

-- A 27-year-old man in Arizona was arrested Friday on suspicion of disorderly conduct and threatening and intimidating after witnesses say he appeared drunk and was acting strangely during a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Sierra Vista, according to The Associated Press.

A moviegoer confronted Michael William Borboa, which led to about 50 people fleeing the theater, the AP reported.

-- In Maine, a 49-year-old man claimed he carried a loaded gun in his backpack into a recent showing of the movie, state police said. Timothy Courtois was stopped Sunday morning for speeding when police found several guns in his car – including an AK-47 assault rifle. Courtois reportedly told authorities that he was on his way to shoot a former employer a day after watching the Batman movie.

NBCLosAngeles.com and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Some pageant princesses like to load up on Pixy Stix when they’re not on stage. Others prefer to think about of their future fortunes. But 2-year-old Bella? She likes to sink her teeth into … well, just about anything.

Bella makes her “Toddlers & Tiaras” debut on the next episode of the pageant-centric reality TV show, and in an exclusive sneak peek, her mom shares some unexpected information about the little girl she calls a “loose cannon.”

“She’s been kicked out of four day cares for biting before,” mom Juliet said with a smile. “If she doesn’t get her way, she finds a way to get it -- and usually she bites.”

To illustrate that point, Bella is then shown attempting to pull a toothy shark toy away from someone off-screen using only her chompers. But mom doesn’t seem to be too concerned about Bella’s pup-with-a-chew-toy approach to life. After all, the tot’s a big winner when it comes to competitions.

“Bella’s done over probably 30-40 pageants,” Juliet explained. “She’s only lost once in the last year, and that’s because she had an ear infection, and her eardrum burst on stage.”

Ouch! At least it wasn’t due to biting the competition.

As for the secret to Bella’s success, Mom chalks it up to “personality -- so much personality.”

If the above clip is anything to go by, Dad knows all about Bella’s personality. In one scene, she giggles as she smacks him in the face with a tiara, while mom warns, “Let’s not injure Daddy!” In another scene, Bella gives him more grief, leading Juliet to ask, “Is this ‘Daddy Abuse Day’?”

See how Bella performs in her next pageant -- and see if Daddy escapes without a bite -- when “Toddlers & Tiaras” airs Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.

Do you think Bella’s biting is a big behavior problem or just evidence of her big pageant personality? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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People text each other from the oddest places these days -- bathrooms, roller coasters, water parks. But one fan was called out quite publicly when he decided to text rather continuously from, of all places, an Iron Maiden concert.

Bruce Dickinson, leader of the British heavy metal band, spotted the texter and screamed out, "Oh, for (expletive) sake, the guy with the bald head and the white shirt, you've been texting for the last (expletive) three songs. You're a (British expletive)!"

The scolding was captured on video during Maiden's concert at Klipsch Music Center in Indianapolis on July 19, and the video's quickly been passed around. Dickinson didn't spend much time worrying about the clueless fan. Right after calling him out, the band ripped into "Wasted Years."

Whose side are you on -- Dickinson's or the texting fan's? Vote in our poll, and tell us on Facebook.

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Mark Humphrey / AP

Michael Phelps created many lasting Olympic memories in 2008, and he's hoping to do the same in 2012.

The best athletes in the world are gathering in London for the 2012 Games. Swimmers, gymnasts, track stars, cyclists, weightlifters, boxers, basketball players and more are bringing their best game in hopes of taking home a medal.

It's impossible to think about the Olympics without remembering all the golden moments that have come before. We want to know your favorite memory of Summer Olympics past.

Did Olga Korbut or Nadia Comaneci make you start balancing on curbs and benches around your home and school? Was your heart in your throat when Kerri Strug made that vault on her injured ankle? Did the poster of Mark Spitz and all his medals inspire you to spend hours swimming laps? Did you cheer for the Dream Team? Root on Usain Bolt? Were you screaming like Michael Phelps when the U.S. relay team beat the trash-talking French? Or maybe your memory isn't from a sporting contest -- did you tear up when Muhammed Ali lit the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta?

Whether your memory is vintage or recent, and no matter what country, event, or athlete it involves, share it with us on Facebook. We'll collect the best for a post on Friday, the day of the opening ceremonies.

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Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Looks like Jude Law, Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant now have some high-profile company. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were revealed Tuesday to be among the victims of the sweeping News of the World phone-hacking scandal, whose far-reaching aftershocks led to the collapse of a historic British paper and to hundred of millions of dollars in payouts to its victims, including a slew of A-list celebs.

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Per the BBC, the Brangelina revelations surfaced as prosecutors announced in London Tuesday morning that eight people will face criminal charges in connection with the scandal, including former News International executive and News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, as well as Andy Coulson, one-time communications director to Prime Minister David Cameron.

They were slapped with a total of 19 charges, including "conspiring to intercept communications without lawful authority" from October 2000 to August 2006. More than 600 people have been identified as victims in the massive scandal, including a teenager who was kidnapped and later found dead.

Two individuals in particular -- former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former assistant editor James Weatherup -- were named in connection with the Jolie-Pitt hacking, and were "charged on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept the voicemails" of the couple.

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In a statement, Brooks asserted her innocence. "I am not guilty of these charges. I did not authorise, nor was I aware of, phone hacking under my editorship," she said. "I will vigorously defend these allegations."

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To date, a slew of celebs have scored massive settlements. Last year, Law received roughly $205,000, while his ex-girlfriend Miller was subsequently awarded $162,000. Charlotte Church nabbed $950,000, one of the highest awarded to a victim of the sprawling scandal.

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Warner Brothers

The Dark Knight has risen, and soon, Superman will get a new and updated look, as the first trailers released for 2013’s “Man of Steel” suggest a darker, more mysterious take on DC's aerodynamic superhero.

The teaser for director Zachary Snyder’s forthcoming release begins with Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) as a young fisherman looking for direction in life.

In one trailer, actor Kevin Costner, who plays Clark Kent’s adopted dad, Jonathan Kent, offers his perspective on his son’s calling.

“You’re not just anyone,” Costner narrates. “One day you’re going to have to make a choice; you have to decide what kind of man you wanna grow up to be. Whoever that man is –- good character or bad –- he’s going to change the world.”

The second teaser uses the same film footage, but replaces Costner's narration with Russell Crowe as Clark Kent’s biological father Jor-El.

“You will give the people an ideal to strive towards,” Crowe observes. “They will rest behind you; they will stumble; they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”

Both end with Superman’s striking ascent into the sky.

This new version of the comic tale, set for release June 14, 2013, comes from a story created and produced by Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker behind “The Dark Knight” trilogy, and alludes to a similarly sinister, introspective look on a legendary hero. More footage from “Man of Steel” was previewed at Comic-Con in July, where Snyder and Cavill spoke to audiences in depth about the project.

Preview clips suggest that the hero rescues children from a submerged school bus, the L.A. Times reports, but is misunderstood, and later finds himself arrested and handcuffed.

“Superman’s always this kind of big, blue Boy Scout up on a throne, that nobody can really touch him,” Snyder said during a panel, and Cavill added that he aimed to change that.

“You guys who know everything about him,” Cavill remarked. “You’re there through thick and thin. It’s for everyone else out there as well who hasn’t quite experienced what Superman can be, hasn’t gone through comics books, hasn’t felt that world and seen how it changed. And with this, hopefully it can bring a modern version which everyone can associate with.”

On the film’s official YouTube page, the storyline is described as a duel between Superman and two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora, Zod's evil partner, played by Antje Traue.

Do you prefer the darker, more serious superhero films, or miss the old, lighter style? Tell us on Facebook.

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Bristol Palin.

On the latest episode of “Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp,” the titular single mom warns her 3-year-old that God is watching. But in this case, you're going to have to be the judge.

"Go away, you (bleep)!" a cranky Tripp yells at his mom and Aunt Willow -- and, despite the effort to bleep it out, it sounded like the toddler used an anti-gay slur (in addition to smacking his aunt and telling both women he hated them).

In the face of major backlash from the blogosphere, Bristol took to her blog to insist that her son may have said a bad word, but it wasn't that bad word.

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"As I've said before, I sometimes struggle to raise Tripp," Sarah Palin's eldest daughter wrote Monday. "However, he does NOT use slurs. On the most recent episode of Life's a Tripp, the Huffington Post is reporting that my son said the word 'f----t.'

"This is not true," she continued. "Let me be clear. I'm not proud of what he did say. Sadly, he used a different 'f word.'"

Life's a Tripp showrunner Matt Lutz backs up Bristol's story, telling Gawker (which heard the more patently offensive of two evils) that Tripp said "f--k" and not "f----t."

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Lutz says he was in the room when the word was uttered and he has gone through the raw footage multiple times.

"Lifetime filmed over 12 months (on and off) and they caught a moment on film that would cause any parent to be red in the face," Bristol's statement continued. "Tripp is always surrounded by adults -- around the campfires with cousins and their friends, at the shop with my dad and his snowmachine buddies. He's apparently picked up some language that I'd prefer he not use. On national television or at home.

"I do oppose gay marriage, as I've written about before (and the HuffPo points out). I guess the temptation to label my three year old son is just too great for the lefty papers to resist. However, one of my new Twitter followers made an excellent point. He tweeted that the left tries to hold my three year old son more accountable than their adult spokespeople."

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But while Bristol maintains that Tripp dropped a four-letter word, she has traveled the apology route for a family member's use of the other F-word before.

"Willow and I shouldn't have reacted to negative comments about our family. We apologize," she wrote on Facebook in November 2010 after Willow caught heat for calling a former classmate a "f----t" after he bashed their mom's show Sarah Palin's Alaska.

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Matt Sayles / AP

Robert Downey Jr. is the most valuable movie star in Hollywood, combining box-office success in both action films and comedies with wide critical acclaim, audience likeability and studio-head bankability, according to Vulture's latest study. The “Iron Man” star’s Hollywood supremacy is the result of a recent, rather in-depth statistical study. While it may sound complicated, we're here to break it down for you.

Vulture, with the help of The Guardian’s statistician Harry Enten, set eight categories with which to quantify a star’s Hollywood value. This includes studio value (five top studio heads were asked who they’d cast with a sure-fire script in hand), which was given the lion’s share of importance in the calculations, but the study also factored in box-office numbers, Oscar wins and nominations, critics’ score based on Metacritic and appeareances on magazine covers.

Downey Jr., who has risen from substance abuse and prison time to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, has chosen his roles wisely. He staged his comeback by showing off mounds of charisma in 2008’s “Iron Man,” then cleverly followed the successful superhero film with his genuinely enjoyable performances in “Tropic Thunder,” “Due Date” and his pair of “Sherlock Holmes” movies. Since his dark days, he’s graced the covers of 12 major magazines (including GQ, Rolling Stone and Men’s Vogue), proving that moviegoers are genuinely interested in his personal life and success story.  

While Downey Jr. takes the top spot, Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington and Brad Pitt round out the top five. (The highest ranking woman is Angelina Jolie, who comes in at No. 8 on Vulture’s list.) But it’s Will Smith who reigns supreme as the most likeable actor in Hollywood, according to Vulture’s audience polls, and he’s also the most consistent international moneymaker.

There are a few oddities in the rankings though. The relatively new Jennifer Lawrence is only 21 years old, but she managed to snag the No. 16 spot thanks to her brilliant mix of critically acclaimed films and box-office hits. “Winter’s Bone” earned her an Oscar nomination. “X-Men: First Class” and “The Hunger Games” put her in good graces with studio heads, affirmed her presence as a major box-office draw, and gave her two blockbuster series’ to bank on for years to come.

On the other side of the surprise spectrum is Ryan Reynolds. Even though he created a blockbuster romantic comedy alongside Sandra Bullock in 2009’s “The Proposal” and was People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010, he still hangs out at No. 75, below even the 66-year-old Sylvester Stallone. The 35-year-old can thank his last two films -- the superhero box-office disaster “Green Lantern” and critical failure “The Change-Up” -- for this abysmal position. (Perhaps his A-list status was prematurely given.)

While Downey Jr. may not be the most respected actor in Hollywood (that’s Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep territory), the most likeable or even the most bankable, he’s still No. 1 when stats are crunched and polls are taken. The numbers don’t lie.

Do you agree that Downey Jr. is the most valuable actor in Hollywood? Which actor draws you to a movie? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Reuters

"The Blind Side."

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the real-life couple who were depicted by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in "The Blind Side,"  are defending that movie against LifeWay Christian Stores, which yanked the DVD from its shelves last month citing inappropriate language.

LifeWay, which operates 165 stores, pulled "Blind Side" after a Florida pastor complained of cursing and a racial epithet in the film. LifeWay says it capitulated because the Southern Baptist Convention was about to convene its annual gathering and elect the first black leader in its history.

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“What I hate about what LifeWay has done is that it just makes Christians look stupid,” Leigh Anne Tuohy tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The fact that this would offend the new black leader of the Southern Baptists -- well, I don’t give a rat’s (expletive).”

In "Blind Side," the Tuohys are accurately depicted as a white Christian couple who adopt Michael Oher, a troubled black teenager who eventually plays for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. At the time, the movie was heralded by Christians for its uplifting and charitable message and for its reverential treatment of faith.

In a statement issued to THR, LifeWay says it “decided last month to stop carrying it because of the likelihood it would be the focus of debate and division at our annual denominational meeting. We were electing the Southern Baptist Convention’s first African-American president and did not want to distract from that historic moment.”

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The fact that LifeWay invoked race in its decision is particularly distressing to Leigh Anne, she says.

“Those who put color on 'The Blind Side' are missing the point. They need to look in the mirror and self-examine," she says. "They’re drawing attention to the wrong things. I’d like to kick every one of them in the butt as hard as I can."

After the Southern Baptists elected the Rev. Fred Luter their first black president on June 19, he said that he supported LifeWay’s decision to stop selling "Blind Side," a position that didn’t sit well with the Tuohys. But it's the decision-makers at LifeWay that really irk the couple.

“They should have put on their big-boy pants and manned up and said, ‘We’re going to stand by this movie just like we have for two years and we’re sorry if it offends you, but we think the good far outweighs the bad,’ ” Leigh Anne says.

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Sean Tuohy, who runs 53 Taco Bell restaurants in seven states, says the decision to ditch "Blind Side" after successfully selling it for two years doesn’t even make sense from a business perspective.

“If LifeWay and the Southern Baptist Convention are the gatekeepers to what is right and wrong in all of our lives, then they’re not doing a very good job, because by the time they made this decision 100 million people had already seen the movie,” he says. “When I first heard of this, I thought it was comical, and certainly not very effective. If I ran my company that poorly, it might take you two years to get a taco at one of my stores.”

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