DMX apparently isn't one for facing the music of the night.

Three days after getting busted for a months-old traffic violation, the actor-rapper was arrested early Friday at his Phoenix-area home on suspicion of animal abuse and felony drug possession following a search of the house and, before that, a brief standoff with police when he attempted to shut himself up in his bedroom.

According to the Maricopa County sheriff's office, a SWAT team executed a search warrant on DMX's Cave Creek, Ariz., residence at about 3 a.m. in connection with a seven-month-old investigation into reports that the Cradle 2 the Grave star had a number of malnourished pit bulls on his property.

"A guy like this DMX character with all his money and fame has no excuse for not providing proper care for his animals," said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. "He has a long criminal history and obviously has no respect for the law."

Keep Reading

Ash Knotek/ZUMApress.com

Natalie Portman can't make time for another torturous period romance after all.

Despite being an early champion of the project, the Other Boleyn Girl star has had to drop out of an upcoming adaption of Emily Brontë's haunting classic Wuthering Heights because of a scheduling conflict, a rep for Portman confirms to E! News.

There's no word on who might fill Cathy's headstrong shoes now, but German-born thesp Michael Fassbender is reportedly in final negotiations to play Heathcliff and cameras are still set to roll this fall, with Brit John Maybury directing.

The film keeping Portman from trouncing around the moors is as yet unannounced, but we do know that the almost-27-year-old has the Jim Sheridan drama Brothers, costarring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire, coming up, as well as the vignette-driven New York, I Love You, an American answer to last year's Paris, je t'aime.

Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage.com

Good thing she has that Ugly Betty gig to fall back on, because Lindsay Lohan's movie prospects are rapidly going the way of the dodo.

After being touted as starring in two upcoming high-profile projects—a romantic comedy with Jack Black and a drama about the Manson Family—the actress needs to line up new work after being replaced in both films weeks before shooting was to commence, E! News has learned exclusively.

And the spinmeisters are out in full force to portray everything as hunky-dory.

Alison White of producer Patriot Pictures tells E! News that Lohan is no longer a part of Black’s next film Ye Olde Times, a rom-com in the world of Renaissance Faire.

But White says Lohan was not dumped. "We have just decided to go our separate ways. We currently have an offer out to another actor."

Keep Reading

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com

Toni Braxton is still on the mend.

The R&B diva won't be returning to her long-running show at the Flamingo Las Vegas for at least another month, after what was initially supposed to be a three-week break for health reasons, according to a rep for Harrah's Entertainment.

Toni Braxton: Revealed, is scheduled to close in August, but the titular star hasn't been onstage since she was hospitalized with chest pains on the evening of April 7.

No one is commenting on her current medical condiction, but Braxton has been treated in the past for pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart.

Donny and Marie Osmond have inked to deal to put on a greatest-hits-style variety show once Braxton's two-year run at the Flamingo ends.

Tim Boyles/Getty Images

Nick Hogan is drifting to jail.

Angst-ridden, but appearing ready to accept his fate, the son of pro-wrestling legend Hulk Hogan pleaded no contest today to a felony charge of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury. The plea, entered in a Pinellas County, Fla., courtroom, stemmed from an August car crash that left passenger John Graziano in critical condition.

"Every single day I think about the accident…and pray for John every chance I get," said Hogan, whose real name is Nick Bollea. "There will never be a day in my life where I ever will forget this. I know for a fact that I've apologized to the Grazianos…I do genuinely mean that, I'm terribly sorry."

But Judge Philip Federico showed little mercy, sentencing the 17-year-old to eight months in county jail along with five years' probation and 500 hours of community service for drag-racing under the influence of alcohol and causing the Aug. 26 wreck.

Keep Reading

ABC / Mario Perez

Time may move wonky for those on the Island, but for those simply watching it, it'll march on as expected. And as contractually obligated.

ABC has confirmed that, before Lost moves on to that big hatch in the sky in 2010, the network will make good on the three episodes missed due to the writers' strike.

Prior to the start of this season, producers and the network hammered out an endgame, agreeing that Lost would continue for 48 episodes, or three seasons of 16 episodes each.

Even with the recently added second hour to this year's May 29 season finale, however, producers were still two eps shy. Not anymore.

"[Coproducer] Carlton [Cuse] and I did an interview yesterday, and they asked what about the two episodes that didn't get done this year, and we reiterated as we have in many interviews we will probably do 17 next year and 17 the following year," show overlord Damon Lindelof tells E! Online's Watch With Kristin TV blog.

"Poststrike we always said we would make up the ones that got dropped," Cuse added.

That settles that. If only those other numbers were as easy to decipher.

(Originally published May 9, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. PT.)