Pumkin (Brooke Thompson) will always be known as the girl who spit on New York (Tiffany Pollard), which practically made the first season of Flavor of Love good for TV.  At the time, Pumkin’s failure to tell Flavor Flav about her past appearance on Blind Date led to her elimination at the end of the episode and during the elimination ceremony, a near-brawl occurred between her and New York when Pumkin claimed New York was an aspiring actress.  New York, on the other hand, claimed that Pumkin was calling her out so Pumkin then spit in New York’s face, and then ran away.

Two years later, Pumkin was cast in yet another VH1 reality series, this time on I Love Money. Unfortunately, people still associate Pumkin with saliva.  And while that’s an odd correlation, Pumkin doesn’t seem to mind as she credits her spitting incident for her new found fame.

“If I had a dollar for every person who’s said, ‘I’m so glad you spit on New York,’ I would be a millionaire,” Pumkin said in an interview with VH1.

“Hoopz may have won [the first season of] Flavor of Love, but when people think about that show, they think of Pumkin and New York.  Hoopz was known for being pretty and that’s all she did on the show. I’m glad, because New York has done well for herself and I’m known as the girl who spit on her.  I mean, it’s gross, but if I wouldn’t have done it, I don’t think either of us would have been as popular as we are right now,” she explained.

Sadly, Pumkin was eliminated on the most recent episode of I Love Money, the show that features contestants from the first two seasons of Flavor of Love, I Love New York and Rock of Love as they compete in physical and mental challenges in an attempt to win $250,000.  During her stint on I Love Money, she made some allies and, as expected, made a few enemies, one of which is Megan, whom she clashed with from the very start.

“I don’t mind people who talk s***, that’s cool, but say it to my face.  Don’t whisper.  Don’t try to be a conniving little backstabbing bitch. Just tell me. I think that’s the hardest part.  On Flavor of Love, the girls were really cutthroat, just, ‘You’re a f***ing bitch,’ straight to your face, not whispering, ‘Oh. Saggy boobs.’ I just don’t like people like that,” she said.

Country music singer Dolly Parton has lived up to her legendary status after her stage adaptation of hit movie 9 To 5 received rave reviews.

The show opened at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre on Saturday (20Sep08) and went without a hitch after a shaky preview the week before.

Parton was forced to take the stage during the earlier show, singing her classic track I Will Always Love You after a technical glitch caused the musical to grind to a halt.

But critics have praised the icon’s efforts, echoing the audience at the musical’s preview - who were wowed by her relentless attempt to save the show.

A critic from The Hollywood Reporter writes: “The film always was a musical waiting to happen, and Parton has made the most of the opportunity. Her songwriting skills along with her desire to dazzle in whatever she does were made for Broadway…

“Parton (and her collaborators) have done a sensational job.”

9 to 5: The Musical will follow on its run in L.A. at New York’s Marquis Theater next spring

A family has dropped a lawsuit that claimed a hospital caused distress to a dying woman by moving her to make room for Michael Jackson during his 2005 child-molestation trial, an attorney said Wednesday.

The relatives of Manuela Gomez Ruiz ended their case because of stress but felt the message of fair treatment to patients had been made, their attorney, James McKiernan, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

“The defendants made it clear that it was going to be bare knuckles to the end,” McKiernan said. “I’m representing people who have families and jobs, and the constant stress of this lengthy process was too much.”

The court papers requesting the dismissal were filed Aug. 19. The trial had been scheduled to start next month.

The family said Ruiz, 73, had a heart attack the same day Jackson suffered flu-like symptoms during his trial. The lawsuit claimed Marian Medical Center kept Ruiz from critical care, moved her from a double room so Jackson could occupy it himself and subjected her to an “outrageous, circus-like atmosphere” in her final hours.

The lawsuit accused the hospital of inflicting emotional and mental distress. A judge dropped Jackson as a defendant in the case in April.

The singer was acquitted in the child-molestation case.

Actress Heather Locklear, who sought medical help for depression this year, was arrested this weekend outside the coastal city of Santa Barbara, the California Highway Patrol said on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the 47-year-old star of television shows such as “Melrose Place” was arrested on Saturday night.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said she was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription drugs, and that she was released without having to post bail.

A California Highway Patrol official confirmed the arrest but gave no details. A spokeswoman for Locklear was not immediately available.

Locklear checked into an Arizona medical facility in June suffering from anxiety and depression.

News reports said on Saturday that a witness saw Locklear driving erratically when leaving a parking lot. A California Highway Patrol officer later found her car parked on a highway and blocking a traffic lane in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The officer believed Locklear was under the influence and arrested her, according to reports.

Locklear gained TV stardom on 1980s drama “Dynasty.” In the early 1990s, she joined the cast of another nighttime hit drama, “Melrose Place.”

Fears for Amy Winehouse’s health are increasing after the beehived train wreck looked — and acted — like a barely-ambulatory disaster at a London performance. Her hair was disheveled, her makeup smudged and she was frighteningly thin. After wrecking her 12-year-old goddaughter’s public singing debut, Winehouse broke down backstage, sobbing, “Life can’t go on. I can’t do this any more.”Click “continue reading” to find out why Daniel Radcliff has reason to smile, who Hugh Hefner would love to have in Playboy, and when fans will see Captain Jack Sparrow again.