BC-PEOPLE:MI – national, people, world, itop (990 words)

People in the news

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

LOVE’S LATEST LOSS: $40 MILLION

Rocker Courtney Love claims she’s been swindled out of a $40 million fortune, meaning her daughter may not receive a cent of her inheritance from late Nirvana star father Kurt Cobain, IMDB.com reports.

The singer, 39 – who also faces debts of $4 million – insists millions of dollars have been “stolen” from her and her 11-year-old daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

Love says, “$40 million has been stolen from me and Francis by a fiduciary institution. I found out that my dog walker was making $100,000. One person put a BMW on my credit card. My daughter’s trust fund has been stolen from to the point where she may have, like, nothing. I can’t let this happen to Frances.” Those close to Love confirm a “large sum is unaccounted for.”

Love is facing two separate trials in Los Angeles – one for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and being under the influence of a controlled substance, the other for two felony counts of unlawful drug possession. However, Love’s first of the two trials been postponed until May 3.

A Los Angeles Superior Court official said on Friday Love’s trial on a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of drugs and vandalism was postponed.

Meanwhile, a Beverly Hills Superior Court judge ordered on Thursday that she appear for arraignment on April 30 on drug charges stemming from a search of her home.

Love was arrested on October 2 in front of a Beverly Hills mansion and admitted to hospital for a reported drug overdose.



JAMES BROWN’S WIFE CLEARS UP FIRST NUPTIALS

A family court judge has dissolved the first marriage of the wife of singer James Brown, clearing the way for an annulment between her and the Godfather of Soul.

“I am glad that I can finally feel freed up,” said Tomi Rae Brown.

Family Court Judge Charlie Segars-Andrews signed an order Thursday dissolving her previous marriage on the grounds that it was never consummated.

Tomi Rae Brown, 33, married the 70-year-old singer three years ago while still legally married to Javed Ahmed of Pakistan.

The soul singer filed for an annulment of his marriage to Tomi Rae after he was charged with criminal domestic violence in January. Brown and his wife – who is one of his backup vocalists – got into a fight at their home.

But the issue of her 1997 marriage to Ahmed had to be cleared up before the annulment could proceed.



LAWYER COCHRAN ILL

High-profile attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. will temporarily curtail his work while recuperating from an undisclosed neurological condition, his publicist said.

Cochran’s family has requested the nature of his condition remain private, publicist Bill Baker said Friday.

The condition is not life-threatening and Cochran is expected to make a full recovery, Baker said.

Cochran, 66, is best known for representing former football star O.J. Simpson at his murder trial in the stabbing deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Simpson was acquitted.



PRINCE WILLIAM JUMPS INTO WATER POLO POOL

Prince William has made his debut on the water polo squad of the Scottish national universities. But his efforts in the pool were not enough to save his team from defeat.

The squad lost both its games Saturday – one to Wales and one to Ireland – at the annual Celtic Nations tournament.

The 21-year-old prince, second in line to the throne, attracted a crowd for his first public meet, earning a cheer when he helped prevent Ireland from scoring at one point.

His form in the pool also won support from his opponents.

“He gave as good as he got was the word in the changing room after the game,” said Welsh captain Oliver Newcombe, 22.

Uniformed and plain-clothes police were at the tournament at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff, south Wales, to protect the royal competitor.



“KILL BILL’ SLICES UP WEEKEND COMPETITION

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga slayed its movie rivals once again, with part two of the vengeance tale following its predecessor as the country’s No. 1 weekend draw.

“Kill Bill Vol. 2,” with Uma Thurman as an ex-assassin continuing her bloody quest for revenge against former colleagues, debuted with $25.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Another tale of retribution, the comic-book adaptation “The Punisher,” opened in second place with $14 million. The movie stars Thomas Jane as an ex-FBI agent targeting the crime boss (John Travolta) who wiped out his family.

Here are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations:

1. Kill Bill Vol. 2, $25.6 million.

2. The Punisher, $14 million.

3. Johnson Family Vacation, $6.4 million.

4. Hellboy, $5.7 million.

5. Home on the Range, $5.4 million.

6. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, $5.1 million.

7. Walking Tall, $4.6 million.

8. Ella Enchanted, $4.4 million.

9. The Passion of the Christ, $4.2 million.

10. The Alamo, $4.05 million.



LANGE TRAVELS FOR KIDS

Actress Jessica Lange met with community leaders and children at a shelter in Cancun on Friday in her role as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Lange, 55, who starred most recently in Big Fish and Normal, spent much of the day learning about a local program in which hotel workers and cab drivers are trained to report suspected cases of child abuse to authorities.

“It is a wonderful collaboration between the private sector and the government,” she said.



MONDAY’S BIRTHDAYS:

Actor Hugh O’Brian is 79. Actress Elinor Donahue is 67. Actor Tim Curry is 58. Pop singer Mark “Flo” Volman (The Turtles) is 57. Recording executive Suge Knight is 39. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams is 37. Actress Ashley Judd is 36. Actress Kate Hudson is 25.



(c) 2004, The Miami Herald.

Visit The Miami Herald Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.herald.com/

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

AP-NY-04-18-04 1849EDT


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