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The defense calls Jennifer Aniston to the stand? If Joe Francis has his way, maybe so.

The Girls Gone Wild purveyor's legal team has revealed the crux of their defense strategy for his long-pending tax evasion trial in court documents obtained by the Smoking Gun this week: By the looks of it, Francis is hoping to be judged by the A-list company he keeps, and not much else.

In slides filed with the court as part of his opening statement, Francis is looking to align his business with stars like Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Orlando Bloom, Jack Nicholson and even a Kardashian or two, claiming the investments—or, as prosecutors refer to them, phony business expenses—he put into his various companies were all part and parcel with servicing his star clientele and business pursuits.

Or, as his defense rather succinctly put it, "Mr. Francis in Business of Sex."

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• Corbin Bleu thinks he can totally take down Alec Baldwin in a popularity charity contest. "Sure, Alec Baldwin is cool," he says. "But dammit, I am the guy from High School Musical…thank you very much."

• DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff calls ex-BF Mario Lopez a frog.

• Method Man forgot to pay his taxes (and deposit some rather large checks) because he hasn't opened his mail in years. And because he got high.

• Ladies, you should feel free to pretend Joshua Jackson is gushing about how much he loves you and not girlfriend Diane Kruger. A little fantasy on Friday morning never hurt anyone.

• Donny and Marie Osmond and Larry Flynt have something in common. Whoa.

• Even the Hills producers find Audrina Patridge infuriating.

• Dear Matthew Perry: We share your love of Lost but also appreciate your understanding as to why you should never appear on the Island. Thanks for your humility about it. Love, Rise 'n' Shine

Violet Affleck brings spring flowers and smiles to the Big Picture gallery.

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No need for Miss America to miss Mario Lopez.

The Saved by the Bell teen turned Dancing With the Stars comeback kid has been tapped to host the 2009 Miss America pageant, the second time he will preside over the poise-a-palooza.

"Mario and the Miss America Organization's past relationship has proven beneficial, and we look forward to having him in Vegas again this year," said Brent Zacky, programming V.P. for TLC, which will again televise the ceremony.

Lopez last hosted in 2007. His next time to shine is Jan. 24.

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• Woody Harrelson's done the Natural Born Killers thing. Now he's tackling the supernatural kind in the horror comedy Zombieland. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Harrelson will be the world's last hope, bashing some brains in the blood-and-guts romp for Columbia Pictures.
• Mario Lopez keeps finding gainful employment. He's just been tapped to front MTV's Top Pop Group, an Idol-esque competition to find—wait for it—the top pop group in the U.S., with the winning outfit getting $100,000. The reality contest kicks off Sept. 11.
• Former O.C. denizen Ben McKenzie is heading back to the boob tube, playing a rookie cop in the NBC drama pilot LAPD.
• Former American Idol finalist Ace Young is the word for Grease. The season five finalist makes his Broadway debut Sept. 9, starring as Kenickie in the hit revival.

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This Saved by the Bell alum is giving celebrity journalism the old college try.

Mario Lopez, who has been pulling double duty as a correspondent and cohost of Extra's weekend edition since January 2007, has been tapped to replace weekday anchor Mark McGrath on the syndicated entertainment news magazine show when it kicks off its 15th season starting Sept. 15.

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Move over Shirtless Matthew McConaughey because Shirtless Mario Lopez is taking your old shift as People Magazine's Hottest Bachelor. (Matt is technically not a bachelor anymore, considering that his girlfriend is about to give birth, though gossip reports say Shirtless Matty Mac may still be engaging in some singleton shenanigans.)

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Karina Smirnoff sat down with E!'s Chelsea Handler Monday for an appearance on tonight's Chelsea Lately.

In the interview, which will air in its entirety on tonight's show, Smirnoff spoke for the first time about her split with Mario Lopez and about an E! News report in which Hooters model Meaghan Cooper claims Mario cheated on Smirnoff with her.

What did she have to say? You might be surprised...

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Oscar Mayer

Real men aren't afraid to ride in the Mini Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Newly single Mario Lopez, sporting a "Kiss the Cook" apron, hopped out of a smaller version of the iconic frankfurter-topped vehicle Tuesday before he got to work manning the grill at a fundraiser and all-beef extravaganza in Times Square to help mark Oscar Mayer's 125th anniversary.

Up to his elbows in hot dogs, Lopez helped promote the meat-product purveyor's Grade-A cause, the nationwide food bank network America's Second Harvest, which also received a $100,000 donation from Oscar Mayer before today's event.

Mario Lopez has danced himself all the way into the director's chair.

The 34-year-old actor has been tapped to take on the role of Zach, the demanding choreographer who was once spurned by one of the wannabe chorines baring her soul onstage, in the ongoing Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. 

"Every actor dreams about appearing on a Broadway stage. I have as well, and have been searching for the right time and opportunity," Lopez, who boogeyed back into people's hearts with his fiery run to the finals of Dancing with the Stars last year, said Tuesday. 

"A Chorus Line is a legendary musical, and I am so honored to have been chosen to join the amazing cast and be a part of the Broadway family."  

E! Online Senior Editor Marc Malkin reported back in January that Lopez had the inside track on the role after the former Saved by the Bell star raved to Regis and Kelly about the production after catching a performance in Manhattan. 

A Chorus Line, about a grueling audition that will land eight men and women—"four and four"—a spot in the chorus of a major show, premiered in 1975 and promptly won nine Tony Awards the following year, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and three acting honors, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Lopez's debut performance in the Marvin Hamlisch-composed classic is slated for Apr. 15. Presuming all goes well, he'll be casting the show-within-a-show until Sept. 7, minus a prescheduled hiatus between May 11 and June 3. 

"Mario is an enormously talented actor and dancer, and we are thrilled to have him make his Broadway debut in A Chorus Line," said producer John Breglio. "His talents and charm will transfer beautifully to the Broadway stage." 

Original cochoreographer Bob Avian directs the new incarnation of the show, which returned to Broadway in October 2006.