FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, February 24, 2004

HOLDING HER TONGUE: Martha Stewart will not be taking the stand to defend herself in her stock fraud trial, her lawyer said. Stewart's defense team is expected to start and end its case Wednesday, and closing arguments could begin as soon as Thursday.

IS IT A GOOD THING? A federal judge on Monday postponing her decision to drop the charges against Martha Stewart and her former stockbroker.

COSBY SHOW: Bill Cosby making an appearance at Martha Stewart's stock fraud trial Monday in a show of support for his friend.

CONFLICTED: Justin Timberlake backing out of cohosting ABC's Motown 45 special because of a scheduling conflict with the filming of his first movie, Edison.

NOT PLAYING: Martin Lawrence sued for more than $25,000 by a woman he allegedly struck in the jaw while attending a party at the Playboy Mansion on Jan. 18. A hearing in the case has been set for June 7.

BAD PENNY: Christian rock band Sixpence None the Richer revealing their decision to break up in the pages of CCM magazine.

HUSTLER: Baseball great and gambler Pete Rose will be the subject of the ESPN movie Hustle, set to begin production this spring.

CLASSIC ACT: Mary Tyler Moore, Andy Griffith, Marlo Thomas and Danny Devito set to appear at the second annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic Television. Brad Garrett will host the two-hour special, which will air March 17.

GET LOST: Eminem's music publisher is suing Apple Computer Inc. for using his song "Lose Yourself" in a TV ad for iTunes pay-per-download music software without their permission.

OFF THE HOOK: A jury finding in favor of P. Diddy on Monday in a lawsuit brought about by a TV talk-show host who claims he was assaulted by the rapper's entourage following a 1999 interview.

PRECIOUS, INDEED: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King passing the $1 billion box-office mark within ten weeks of its opening--besting previous record holder Titanic, which earned $1 billion after 11 weeks in release.

OSCAR AD UPSET: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering penalties against DreamWorks for asking people to vote against Cold Mountain costar Renée Zellweger in favor of House of Sand and Fog's Shohreh Aghdashloo, reports the Los Angeles Times.

TOURING: Dido announcing her first North American tour dates in three years. The monthlong tour will begin in Vancouver on May 17.

LIKE IT'S 1999: Prince launching his first nationwide tour in six years to coincide with the release of his latest CD, Musicology.

PUSHED BACK: A visitation hearing for the estranged father of Michael Jackson's accuser has been pushed back until April 9 because the mother was not given sufficient notice.

FAMILY MATTERS: Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe hiring a retired judge to handle an unspecified family law matter that is believed to concern custody arrangements for the couple's two children.

DON'T BLAME US: Seattle-based porn site in court yesterday asking judge to dismiss Paris Hilton lawsuit brought about by Hilton's ex, Rick Salomon, on the basis that she also held right to the video, reports Reuters.

LET IT BE? Music activism Website Downhill Battle releasing controversial Grey Album by DJ Danger Mouse, which mixes vocals from Jay-Z's Black Album with music from the Beatles' White Album. EMI is threatening legal action.

HER BABY'S DADDY: Ted Nugent admitting he fathered the eight-year-old child of a woman suing for for child support and custody.

ON BORROWED TIME: Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson's arraignment stemming from a New Year's Eve scuffle was postponed Monday, but his daughter-in-law has been charged with resisting arrest.

SEX SELLS: Some 10.3 million tuning in to the series finale of Sex and the City Sunday night--about double the show's usual audience.

BUH-BYE: Ricki Lake bringing her daytime talker to a close after 11 seasons, reports the New York Post.

BIG FAT TV WEDDING: Fox's My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance star Randi conning her family right through to her faux ceremony to phony fiance Steve to win $1 million prize Monday night. About 21 million curious tuned in for the show's finale.

GIVING IT AWAY: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban giving away $1 million of his own money this summer as host of ABC's new reality series The Benefactor. About 30 contestants will compete to prove they deserve the money.

ROCK ON: Steven Van Zandt launching a search for the best garage band April 15 through a nationwide series of Battle of the Bands contests. The winner will get a spot at Van Zandt's "garage rock festival" this summer, plus brand new equipment.

REMEMBERED: Joe Viterelli, known for his roles in Analyze This and its sequel, Analyze That, died Jan. 29 of complications from heart surgery. He was 66.

COURTNEY'S COURT DATES: Courtney Love set to appear in court March 8 on charges of allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance last October. Love is also due to appear in court March 16 for a preliminary hearing for two criminal charges of drug possession.

TIME TO SPARE: Robert Blake has been given a trial start date of Sept. 9. The actor also has just one week to find a new attorney. His third lawyer left earlier this month due to "irreconcilable differences."

HIS PREROGATIVE: Bobby Brown was hauled back to jail last week for probation violation. He'll likely remained behind bars until a hearing this Friday.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Colin Hanks, son of Tom, scoring the lead role in an untitled ABC comedy pilot about a young reporter who makes waves at a respected magazine, per the Hollywood Reporter. The project is based on former Time magazine staffer Joel Stein, who's penning the script.