Opera legend Luciano Pavarotti has died at age 71, as his health deteriorated to a "very serious" condition after he fell unconscious; he passed away at his home at 5 a.m. local time. The Italian tenor's health took a turn for the worse following his recent hospital stay to undergo treatment for pancreatic cancer, and, on Wednesday, a local TV news station in Modena reported Pavarotti was on his death bed after suffering kidney failure. Friends and family of the 71-year-old singer held a bedside vigil at his home in Modena, located in northern Italy. A spokesperson for the University Policlinico hospital, where the singer was previously treated, refused to comment on the status of his health. Pavarotti underwent surgery for cancer last year and had at least five rounds of chemotherapy. In addition to his innumerable opera roles, Pavarotti also starred in the 1982 film Yes, Giorgio and won an Emmy award for his 1985 appearance on the PBS Great Performances series.

Anna Nicole Smith's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead has struck the first blow in the ongoing war of words between himself and journalist Rita Cosby - he's instructed his lawyer to sue her over allegations in her new book. In her tome Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death, Cosby claims the photographer and his supposed former love rival Howard K. Stern were caught having sex on camera. Cosby admits she has never seen the sex tape, but insists her sources corroborate the story, with one revealing Smith actually saw the footage before her death in February. Both Birkhead and Stern have threatened to take legal action against Cosby and her publisher, and now the photographer, who is the father of Anna Nicole's baby girl Dannielynn, has done just that. He says, "I've instructed my attorney to sue Rita Cosby and the publisher and any source that spits out that information anywhere. I would lawyer up if I were them because it's coming their way." Appearing on CNN show Larry King Live on Tuesday, Birkhead also revealed he's considering suing MSNBC because that's where Cosby was working when she reported on the aftermath of Smith's death in the Bahamas. He added, "She came several times on Msnbc's dime as an MSNBC reporter. She drank alcohol... everything at my expense - I got billed for it."

Actress Jenna Fischer has split from her husband James Gunn after six years of marriage. The Office star and writer/director Gunn, who wrote the screenplay for 2004 remake Dawn Of The Dead, wed in 2000. In a statement the couple says, "We have chosen to separate. We are sorry for any pain this causes family and friends. The enthusiasm we have expressed for each other's lives, spirits and careers is real - we have been each other's cheerleader and friend during the past six years and continue to be so now and in the future." The actress recently received an Emmy nomination for her role as secretary Pam on The Office.

Brad Pitt has been losing his looks in his 40s - according to the Hollywood hunk himself. Pitt, 43, admits the trials and tribulations of life in his 30s have contributed to his sudden ageing. He tells American magazine Details, "One thing sucks, your face kind of goes. Your body's not quite working the same. But you earned it. You earned that, things falling apart." In the last three years, Pitt has transformed from Jennifer Aniston's husband to a father-of-four, partner of Angelina Jolie and an anti-poverty campaigner. He explains, "Maybe I had a crisis earlier or something. Maybe I had it in my 30s. I carried the standard cynicism. But it was also feeling like, I can't sit on my couch anymore, I'm going crazy. This thing I'm doing with my life, it's very nice. But it's not doing it for me. (Trying to help the world is) something that brought Angie and I together certainly - she's absolute evidence for me of someone facilitating changes for the better."

Britney Spears has been cleared of all allegations of child abuse in relation to her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. The pop star was under investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services concerning her parenting of Sean Preston, 23 months, and Jayden James, 11 months, after an anonymous complaint was filed with the authorities in July. The court files alleged the children had poor dental hygiene and bad eating and sleeping habits, thanks to Spears' parenting skills. But Spears' lawyer, Laura Wasser, announced on Tuesday the child abuse claims are no longer an issue in the singer's battle for custody of her two sons. Wasser says, "It does not appear the county will pursue any action at this time." Neither party knows the identity of the person who filed the complaint, but Wasser adds, "I'm trying to find out." Spears and Federline's divorce was finalized in July with both parties agreeing to joint custody of the boys. However, Federline is now seeking full custody following Spears' recent erratic behavior.

A judge has confirmed Jennifer Lopez will receive $545,000 after the singer/actress filed a lawsuit to prevent her first husband Ojani Noa from publishing memoirs, in which he planned to reveal his ex was unfaithful. In court papers, filed in Los Angeles last month, an arbitrator awarded Lopez $200,000 in damages, with the remainder covering her legal costs. A judge confirmed this decision on Wednesday, adding that Noa should be permanently banned from "criticizing, denigrating" or casting Lopez "in a negative light." Lopez filed her breach of contract suit against Noa, fearing his book would have violated a previous settlement that bars him from revealing details of their relationship. She claimed Noa asked for $5 million not to publish the tome. Noa and Lopez were divorced in 1998 after less than a year of marriage. Noa went on to become the manager of his ex-wife's Pasadena, California restaurant Madre's, but later quit.

Former The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli is "completely baffled" following a pipe bomb blast outside his New York theatre Studio Dante. Imperioli and his wife Victoria rushed to the scene after the bomb exploded outside the building at 1am on Tuesday morning. The actor tells the New York Daily News, "I don't know anything about this bomb in front of my theatre. I'm completely baffled. I told (police) all I know, which is basically nothing. It's terrible, this whole day felt like an hallucination. It's surreal. We have the greatest police force in the world. I'm confident they will come up with something." No one was injured during the blast, but local residents were left shaken.

Superstar Mariah Carey is being sued by her former manager Jerry Blair, who claims the singer owes him money. Blair was employed as the president of Carey's Monar C Entertainment firm, but his contract was terminated after the release of her record-breaking comeback album The Emancipation Of Mimi in 2007. A source tells the New York Daily News, "Jerry stood by Mariah through her breakdown (in 2001). He believed in her when other people lost faith. (After the success of Mimi) she wanted to distance herself from anybody who saw her in those dark times." Blair claims Carey owes him a percentage of her record and tour profits. The source adds, "She hasn't paid him in two years. He had to call in lawyers." Blair is now working with Carey's ex-husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola at his Casablanca Records label.

Sir Paul McCartney has denied reports he is dating actress Renee Zellweger, insisting they simply share the same friends. The former Beatle was rumored to be romancing the Bridget Jones's Diary star after the couple was recently photographed dining together in New York. And on Tuesday, Zellweger further fueled reports of a relationship by declaring she has a "crush" on the rocker. But McCartney - who is currently embroiled in a divorce battle with his estranged wife Heather Mills - has dismissed the media speculation. He says, "We're not dating. We're in the same group of friends and that's it."

Hollywood star John Cusack believes he has only made 10 good films, despite spending over 25 years in the film industry. Cusack, 41, counts Grosse Pointe Blank and Being John Malkovich among his best work, but admits he is embarrassed of a majority of his filmography. He says, "I've made 10 good films. The ones that suck I tend to blank out. It's like I never even made them. Well, there aren't 40 that are great, put it that way. But that's fine. Ten is a good battling average."