FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, January 16, 2002

Wed., Jan. 16, 2002 5:30 PM PST by Mark Armstrong

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH: Paul McCartney slated to perform at the Super Bowl February 3 in a tribute to America's heroes. McCartney will sing his new anthem "Freedom" joined by 500 young people representing 180 countries.

DEMME UPDATE: An autopsy on the body of director Ted Demme was inconclusive, but the cause of death "appears to be natural causes," says a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Coroner. More tests will be forthcoming. Demme died Sunday after collapsing at a basketball game. He was 38.

THE WRITE STUFF: HBO's The Sopranos and NBC's The West Wing leading nominations for the TV portion of the Writers Guild of America Awards. The WGA's film nominations will be announced February 7.

UMA MOMMA: Uma Thurman and hubby Ethan Hawke welcoming their second child Tuesday, the New York Daily News reports. No word on the sex of the baby. The couple also have a daughter, 3-year-old Maya.

SINCE THE MOVIE DID SO WELL...: Boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, O-Town) teaming up with Archie Entertainment to create real-life music groups based upon The Archies and Josie and the Pussycats comic books.

COLLIDING: Jennifer Aniston slightly hurt in a minor car accident in Hollywood Tuesday morning. Police said the Friends star was driving her Jaguar in a residential neighborhood when another car backed out of a driveway and broadsided her. No charges will be filed.

ROCK THE HOUSE: Chris Rock making his directorial debut and starring in Head of State, a comedy he cowrote with Ali Leroi about an alderman picked to be the presidential nominee for a major political party. Production begins in April.

BLIND DATE: California businessman Josh Judd forking over $38,000 in a charity auction to win a candlelit dinner date with Charlize Theron. The auction, held on eBay by Chivas Regal whiskey, raised money for the South African Children's Charity Project.

BIG NAMES: CBS developing a pilot executive produced by Sylvester Stallone titled Lefty, an hourlong drama about a war veteran-turned-Miami priest. The network also is developing Into the Echo, a new drama produced by Allison Anders about a parole officer who adopts one of her parolee's kids.

COMMITTED: Eighties pop star Adam Ant committed to a London mental hospital after his arrest on firearms charges. Under U.K. law, doctors will be able to hold him there up to 28 days to determine his condition.

HERO FOR A DAY: Miami honoring actor Ben Vereen with a heroism award after witnessing a robbery and chasing a suspect in December. The Roots star was honored even though he didn't apprehend the bad guy.

BUSTED (AGAIN): Actor Brad Renfro busted Monday night for allegedly being drunk in public. The 19-year-old was arrested after being stopped for a traffic violation near his home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

ACCUSED: Venezuelan actor Juan Carlos Diaz seeking a restraining order against Gloria Estefan's husband Emilio Estefan, claiming he threatened him and "touched him in an unwanted manner." Estefan denies the claims, saying Diaz was a trespasser who threatened him and his wife.

ONCE BITTEN: ABC pulling Once & Again from its schedule, putting it on hiatus until March 4--after February sweeps. Variety reports the show will be replaced by blooper specials and other programming.

CAUSE: The Los Angeles Coroner's office reporting that the death last fall of former Eight Is Enough costar Lani O'Grady was due to "multiple drug intoxication." The 46-year-old actress was found dead last September 25 in her mobile home in Valencia, California.

NBA JAM: Alicia Keys, Carson Daly, Frankie Muniz and Lil' Bow Wow joining Britney Spears and others during the NBA's All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration February 9 during basketball's All-Star weekend.