Jaws author Peter Benchley died in his Princeton, New Jersey home on Saturday night. He was 65. The writer, whose 1974 best-selling novel was adapted into Steven Spielberg's movie blockbusters, died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive and a fatal scarring of the lungs, his widow Wendy confirmed. Despite his novel turning sharks into objects of fear for millions of people around the world, the author was a long-time campaigner for the conservation of the sea creatures. Wendy says, "Spielberg certainly made the most superb movie; Peter was very pleased. But Peter kept telling people the book was fiction, it was a novel, and that he no more took responsibility for the fear of sharks than Mario Puzo took responsibility for the Mafia." Benchley is survived by three children and five grandchildren.

Hollywood veteran Robert Redford fears his Sundance Film Festival is growing too big, after seeing celebrities like Paris Hilton attend the event. Redford hosted his 25th annual festival in Park City, Utah, last month, which was started in 1979 to showcase low-budget, independent films and talent. However, as the festival grows larger and larger every year, some celebrities have begun turning up just for parties, even though they have nothing to do with the films on show. Redford tells Newsweek magazine, "To the outside world, it's a big fat market where you have people like Paris Hilton going to parties. Now, she doesn't have anything to do with anything. I think the festival is close to being out of control." Despite Redford's disdain for the socialite, Hilton has attended the parties of Sundance every year since 2004.

British actress Thandie Newton has laughed off reports she is set to become the next James Bond girl opposite Daniel Craig. The Munich heart-throb has flown to Prague, Czech Republic to film his 007 debut in Casino Royale, but producers are yet to find a sexy sidekick for the slick superspy. Despite reports to the contrary, Crash beauty Newton insists she isn't the lucky lady. Newton says, "That isn't happening. It was a big rumor I enjoyed very much because it gave me an opportunity to fantasize about something that wasn't ever going to happen."

Shirts worn by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain are being auctioned off on website eBay.com for charity. The two men's shirts were originally selected by the film's costume designer Marit Allen and director Ang Lee and are a key prop in the closing minutes of the film. The auction ends on February 20 and will benefit Variety - The Children's Charity of Southern California and can be accessed at www.ebay.com/varietyskids. The seller writes, "The 2 (two) shirts are worn early in the film by Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), in the portion of the story set in 1963, and then are seen again as the epic love story nears closure many years later. Everyone who has watched this movie - knows the emotional significance and impact of these shirts in this unforgettable film."

Sir Ian McKellen has attacked Hollywood's continuing homophobic attitude towards gay stars. The Lord Of The Rings legend, who is one of the world's most high-profile openly gay actors, insists the industry's old-fashioned ideologies make it extremely difficult for homosexual stars to come out. The 66-year-old praised Oscar-nominated cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain for its openly homosexual themes, but maintains Hollywood needs to examine its views on sexual equality and take an example from the accepting attitudes on Broadway in New York. Speaking at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday, where he received a lifetime achievement award, McKellen says, "The film industry is very old fashioned in California. It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality. And even more difficult for a woman if she's lesbian. It's very distressing to me that that should be the case. It's not true of actors on the other side of the American continent, on Broadway, where people are very at ease with being open and honest."

The Jeffersons actor Franklin Cover has died of pneumonia. He was 77. The Ohio-born star died at the Lillian Booth Actor's Fund of America home in Englewood, New Jersey, last Sunday, his publicist Dale Olson Has confirmed. During his long acting career, which spanned six decades, Cover starred in the theatre and on film, as well as the small screen. He was best-known for playing George and Louise Jefferson's white neighbor in inter-racial sitcom The Jeffersons. Cover is survived by his wife Mary and their two children, Bradford And Susan.

Oscar nominee George Clooney was left red-faced when an award he received fell apart during his acceptance speech last weekend. The Syriana star was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to receive top honor the Modern Master Award. After the Ocean's Eleven star's sincere acceptance speech, he held the prize over his head only for the flimsy accolade to break into two pieces and fall to the floor. An embarrassed Clooney made light of the situation by saying, "Did you do this to (2004 winner) Peter Jackson, too?"

Rocker Sheryl Crow thanks her "kind" friends for their support in her first interview since her split from cycling champion Lance Armstrong. The singer has filmed an interview for today's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which also sees her perform emotional song "Always On Your Side." On the show she says, "You live your life in the public eye, it is really cool that people have been spectacularly kind. You just have to take it one day at a time." And the 44-year-old star is already joking about the break-up. She quips, "I'm telling you, all my friends say I have to get right back on the bike and I keep saying 'Maybe not a bike.'"

Actress Mena Suvari has found love with a breakdancer, following her split from cinematographer husband Robert Brinkmann in May. The American Beauty star, 26, and Mike 'Murda' Carrasco, 23, have been dating for "almost six months" after meeting at a breakdancing event. Suvari tells People magazine, "(We met) at an event, at Battle of the Year. He didn't know anything about me. Nothing. He didn't know who I was or anything." Carrasco, who performs with Las Vegas, Nevada-based troupe Knucklehead Zoo, explains the event is "like the World Cup of breakdancing, and the USA qualifications were in Los Angeles, and we won that."

ABC news anchor Elizabeth Vargas and her singer/songwriter husband Marc Cohn are expecting their second child together. The couple are already parents to three-year-old Zachary, while Cohn also has two children from a previous marriage. Referring to the injuries reporter Bob Woodruff sustained in Iraq last month, ABC News President David Estin congratulated Vargas. He said, "I told Elizabeth that during such a difficult time for all of us, it's good to get such wonderful, life-affirming news."