FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, November 17, 1999

ALLEN ADD: Allen's wife, Laura Deibel, blames the split on the inevitable "irreconcilable differences" and asks for custody of the couple's 9-year-old daughter.

SILENCED: The voice of Mrs. Cartman and numerous other South Park denizens, is dead, the victim of suicide, it has been confirmed. Mary Kay Bergman was 38.

FALLEN STAR: A onetime Hollywood superagent and protégé of Michael Ovitz died Tuesday of an apparent suicide. Jay Moloney was 35. Former clients included big-wigs like Steven Spielberg.

SNOOPS SCOOP: Actress Paula Marshall departing David E. Kelley's ABC P.I. drama, Snoops. The actress reportedly wanted out on account of she, um, hated the show.

EXHALE: Country-lite singer Faith Hill's Breathe debuting atop the latest pop album charts. Mariah Carey's Rainbow holds steady at No. 2.

SHAKEUP? Legendary music mogul Clive Davis headed out the door at Arista Records, reports say. He's credited with launching the career of Whitney Houston, among others.

MUSIC ADD: Reports say the CEO and founder may be replaced by Babyface cohort L.A. Reid. But Davis insists he's not retiring.

ALWAYS FEELS LIKE SOMEBODY'S WATCHING HER: In Los Angeles, pop diva Janet Jackson made a frantic call to police Tuesday night after she noticed a carload of shady-looking people following her.

MOMMY DEAREST? Actress Drew Barrymore's mom auctioning off her daughter's baby clothes and other memorabilia on the Web. Check it out at: www.gavelnet.com.

ALL-NEW ODD COUPLE: Testimony began today in Los Angeles in the palimony case against Jack Klugman. An ex-girlfriend claims the veteran actor reneged on a promise to financially support her.

OUR LIVES WILL GO ON: Grammy-winner Celine Dion on today's Oprah to (again) discuss her pending retirement from stardom. "I'm outta here," she tells the talk-show host.

SICK BAY: Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, 76, recovering today from emergency surgery to clear a blocked abdominal artery.

NURSERY NEWS: Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese's wife, Helen Morris, gave birth to a baby girl Tuesday in New York City.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: The studio behind Dogma changing a TV ad for the comedy after CBS (home of Touched by an Angel) protested the tagline, "Get 'Touched' by an Angel."

HISSY FIT? Elton John nearly canceled his Monday concert in Winnipeg, Canada, after customs officials took two hours to process his five-person entourage, reports say.

WHOOPS! Anywhere But Here star Susan Sarandon dropped the F-bomb on live TV Tuesday. Detonation occurred on ABC's daytime talk show The View.

DRUDGE GRUDGE: Fox News Channel accusing Internet gossip Matt Drudge of breach of contract for walking off his talk show last weekend.

FETCHING HIT: The WB ordering up a full season's worth of episodes of the freshman romantic drama Jack & Jill.

BEAM HER UP: Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Marina Sirtis to guest star on the December 1 episode of UPN's Star Trek Voyager.

SHE'S BAAAACK: Former Naked Truth star Téa Leoni signing on as Nicolas Cage's love interest in the upcoming romatic comedy Family Man, the Hollywood Reporter says. See Dotted Line for more casting news.

SPLITSVILLE: Actor Keith Carradine, not to be confused with very-married, half-bro David, served with divorce papers by his wife of 17 years, Tuesday in Los Angeles. Irreconcilable differences cited.

(SORT-OF) CELEBRITY COURTHOUSE: Actor Kirk Douglas' son, Eric, slapped with a $100,000 lawsuit for allegedly beating up a limo driver during a ride last fall.

SUPER-ACTION TEAM UP: MSNBC, NBC, the Washington Post and Newsweek to form a news- and resource-sharing alliance starting in early 2000, company execs announced today.

CHARITY CREEK: The Dawson's Creek folks to auction off a car and previously-worn wardrobe items to help raise money for Hurricane Floyd victims.

LITERARY OSCAR: Talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey to score the 50th anniversary gold medal at today's National Book Awards for her influential televised book club.

MILESTONE: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Wild Bunch and A Streetcar Named Desire among 25 flicks added Tuesday to the National Film Registry's compendium of historically important films.

BLUE CHRISTMAS: "Moon River" crooner Andy Williams bowing out of all holiday performances to rest his ailing vocal chords.

BIRTHDAY REPORT: Film and TV veterans Lauren Hutton and Danny DeVito both celebrating 55 big ones today.

GET YOUR DIALING FINGER READY: Boy band 98 Degrees to perform on the Home Shopping Network November 26 as they peddle exclusive band merchandise.

STAMPED: Disco queen Gloria Gaynor ("I Will Survive") on hand in New York today to help welcome a U.S. postage stamp commemorating the polyester era.