Chris Brown is expected to cop a plea at today’s arraignment for the February 8 brutal beating of girlfriend Rihanna. According to TMZ and The Daily News, his lawyer and prosecutors are close to working out a deal:

Chris Brown’s lawyer and the prosecutor in the Rihanna case have been engaged in “serious” plea bargain negotiations and according to one source, a “deal is close.”

We know Brown will plead not guilty tomorrow, however the plea may just be a formality.

Sources say Rihanna has made it clear she does not want to testify in the case and wants Brown to cop a plea. We’re told one of the reasons she’s in Barbados right now is because “she wants to be as far away from this case as possible.”

As we first reported, Brown was inclined to plead either guilty or no contest to a misdemeanor, provided he got no jail time — but since we broke that story, the D.A. and Mark Geragos, Brown’s lawyer, have gotten down to the nitty gritty.

We do not know if Brown changed his view and would accept jail time to avoid a trial. Brown will be in court tomorrow for the arraignment.

[From TMZ]

This TMZ report is somewhat confusing as it doesn’t make sense that he’s working out a deal by pleading not guilty. The Daily News reports that Chris will plead not guilty to two of the felony charges, including making criminal threats, but that he will negotiate over the felony assault charge. They claim that he hopes to avoid jail tiem.

Despite the nature of the crime it’s doubtful that Brown will spend any time behind bars. It’s a shame because if he went up to a stranger and beat her senseless like that he probably would have been locked up for a while.

Meanwhile Rihanna is in her native Barbados, where she was seen partying with the Prime Minister. As we reported on Friday, many outlets are declaring that she’s finally kicked Brown to the curb. Hopefully they’re correct and she’s moving on with her life.

Here’s Chris Brown, in court on 3/5/09. Images thanks to WENN .

Being a celebrity doesn’t pay as well as it used to. Yesterday actress Lisa Rinna was so desperate for a job she was out on the street with a sandwich board, begging motorists to honk her way back onto Melrose Place. Now character actor Tom Sizemore seems to have fallen on hard times, because he’s resorted to stealing cell phones from Verizon stores. Oh, and pens and highlighters. Hmmm….

Congenital convict Tom Sizemore may be heading back to his old prison cell soon, because he’s the alleged ring leader of one of the most pathetic heists in history … one that was caught on tape.

The LAPD confirms Tom — who spent time behind bars in ’07 for a probation violation — is being investigated for grand theft after he allegedly stole multiple cell phones, a pen and a highlighter from a Verizon Wireless store in L.A. last week.

Sources tell us Verizon’s security cameras clearly see a man who looks a helluva lot like Tom, along with another man, stealing a handful of phones — including one belonging to an employee. The man believed to be Tom was also busted reaching over the counter to pocket a pen and a highlighter.

Sizemore, who has multiple movies coming out in ’09, just completed the term of his parole in January from a prior drug bust. Tom’s lawyer just told us he’s “innocent until proven guilty.”

[From TMZ]

Tom Sizemore easily has one of the longest rap sheets in Hollywood. He dated Heidi Fleiss for years – that can only lead to jail. He’s got major addiction issues and a long list of arrests and jail time related to it. And several assault and domestic violence charges, just to make sure he’s a well-rounded criminal/character actor. Oh, and he’s got a serious meth problem, according to Wikipedia.

Since Sizemore just completed his parole, obviously he can’t get thrown back in jail for violating it. But it sounds like he’ll still be charged, and with the guy’s incredibly long rap sheet, he’ll probably do more time than most would for ripping off a Verizon store. Seriously, how bad must your drug habit be if you’re stealing cell phones? He could also have kleptomania, as it seems odd to steal a highlighter and a pen. I’m pretty sure they don’t have a good resale value on the street. But they’ll be useful for writing long letters from jail or fashioning into a shiv. So maybe Sizemore was just planning ahead.

Here’s Tom leaving Los Angeles Superior Court on March 5th. Image thanks to BauerGriffinOnline. Header of him looking particularly messed up outside of Teddy’s nightclub in February 2006. Image thanks to Pacific Coast News.

Chris Brown has been charged with two felonies for his assault on Rihanna in early February. Even though most reports say she’s not cooperating with the police or prosecutors and is unlikely to testify against him, thankfully that does not stop the District Attorney from filing charges.

According to TMZ, Brown has been charged with felony assault and making a criminal threat. The assault is obvious – Celebitchy wrote earlier today about the horrible details of the crime, which are just as bad as we’ve all been hearing. There’s also the sickening new detail that Chris smashed her face against his car’s window.

The second felony – making a criminal threat – is likely due to his threats to kill Rihanna.

The L.A. County District Attorney has just charged Chris Brown with felony assault and making a criminal threat, also a felony.

The charging documents name “Robyn F.” as the alleged victim.

Brown will be arraigned today at 3:30 PM in downtown LA.

A spokesperson for the D.A. tells TMZ he could face a maximum of four years and eight months in prison.

[From TMZ]

Thank God it’s still possible to prosecute Brown without Rihanna’s help. Whether or not she’s going to seek justice in this case, Brown doesn’t deserve to get away with what he did, and he should be taught a long lesson.

MSat reported earlier today that Rihanna told police Brown had beat her in the past, and the beating had grown increasingly violent. This is obviously not surprising, since the first time the police are called to the scene of a domestic violence attack is rarely the first time one has happened. What’s also important for Rihanna to realize is that this is unlikely to be the end of it. Just because the whole world knows Chris Brown is a domestic abuser doesn’t mean he’s going to stop. It’s likely he will keep escalating.

Hopefully Brown spends some time in prison and Rihanna decides to end the cycle of abuse.

Photos of Chris Brown and Rihanna taken before Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party on February 7th, hour before the attack. Images thanks to WENN.com.

Last week professional douchebag/paparazzo Adnan Ghalib tried to run over a process server who was trying to serve him legal papers. And of course, he fled. Because he’s a professional douchebag, and that’s what douchebags do. Now, thanks to that little act of genius, Ghalib’s been charged with three felonies, has a warrant out for his arrest, and could theoretically spend up to seven years in prison. Yay!

Sometimes you just can’t tell who your friends are. Literally. Britney Spears’ ex-admirer Adnan Ghalib is facing felony charges for allegedly hitting a process server with his car as the guy tried to present Ghalib with the Spears family’s restraining order against him, according to Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Jane Robison.

Ghalib was charged Tuesday with assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit-and-run for the alleged Feb. 11 incident. Prosecutors have asked that bail be set at $110,000. Ghalib is facing up to seven years in prison if convicted on all charges. The paparazzo is accused of hitting the man in an alley behind Ghalib’s Encino, Calif., apartment, where the server was presumably waiting for a chance to deliver his wares to Ghalib.

Per the criminal complaint, Ghalib started to drive toward the man, who, in order to avoid being pinned against a garbage truck, jumped onto the hood of Ghalib’s Mercedes. Ghalib swerved and the alleged victim fell off, breaking his wrist and sustaining other injuries. The defendant then drove away without stopping.

In the meantime, despite his alleged efforts to dodge the paperwork, Ghalib is also required to stay at least 500 yards away from Spears. The restraining order is in effect until at least tomorrow, when the parties are due back in court.

[From E! News]

It would make me so happy if Adnan actually spent some time in prison. I’m sure the inmates would have an extra special time with him, what with his minor celebrity/notoriety and all. People like him make me so angry. He honestly just doesn’t believe that the rules apply to him too. Don’t want to be served legal papers? Well then it’s absolutely fine to run over the guy trying to serve them to you. I mean that’s your right, you shouldn’t have to deal with anything you don’t want to deal with.

I’m sure he’ll plead it all down to misdemeanors. But until he does, I can still imagine the attention that faux-hawk of his is going to get in prison.

Here’s Adnan uncomfortably close to a car last February. Images thanks to BauerGriffinOnline.

As Helen mentioned, Chris Brown and Rihanna both backed out of their Grammy performances at the last minute. Brown was charged and booked for making criminal threats last night, and according to multiple sources who talked to Us Weekly, the victim was indeed Rihanna.

Sources tell Usmagazine.com that Rihanna is the alleged victim in the felony battery investigation involving her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. On Sunday, around 6:30 p.m., Brown, 19, turned himself in to Los Angeles police and was officially booked at 7:41 p.m. for making criminal threats.

Brown posted $50,000 bail and was released. The case is being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office; additional charges may be filed. Brown is due in court March 5. The incident occurred early Sunday morning near Hancock Park in L.A.

Police confirmed late Sunday that an unidentified woman phoned 911 and claimed she got into a fight with the singer and he attacked her. Police say the woman had visible injuries. When officers arrived, they found the victim, but Brown had already left the scene, police say.

Both Brown and Rihanna pulled out of Sunday’s Grammy Awards at the last minute. When contacted by Us, Rihanna’s rep said, “Rihanna is well. Thank you for concern and support.”

[From Us Weekly]

TMZ originally reported that the allegation was assault with a deadly weapon. However now they say that’s untrue, and they point out that in certain circumstances, your own fists can be considered a deadly weapon, so that might be what that initial erroneous report was based on.

Law enforcement sources tell us even though the police report in the Chris Brown arrest refers to assault with a deadly weapon, there was no weapon involved in the alleged attack.

The police report cites Penal Code Section 245 — Assault with a Deadly Weapon. However, we’re told there was no weapon involved.

We had been hearing there was an umbrella in the car — which would have been the most ironic thing ever — but again… no weapon is alleged. By the way, a persons foot or other body part can be considered a deadly weapon depending on the circumstances.

One law enforcement source who has been dead-on so far claims Rihanna suffered contusions and bite marks.

[From TMZ]

Chris Brown’s stepfather was abusive towards his mother, and Brown admitted in an interview that he’d threatened to kill him with a baseball bat.

Like the day an 11-year-old Brown made a promise to his mother. He vowed that he would go to jail by age 15 for killing his abusive stepfather. “I just want you to know that I love you,” he told her. “But I’m gonna take a baseball bat one day while you at work, and I’m gonna kill him.” Brown’s parents had separated when he was seven. When his mother remarried, she moved her son and his new stepfather to a trailer park. Then his stepfather shot himself in the head. The shot went straight through the eyes. He survived the suicide attempt but was permanently blinded.

“When you’re blind, your senses are heightened, like your smell, hearing, your sense of touch,” Brown explains. “You can move and maneuver around your sight. But he used to hit my mom….He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day…’ I hate him to this day.”

[From Giant]

Radar reports that Rihanna was seen crying and yelling at the hospital. She was brought in the back entrance and escorted by police officers. Whatever happened, she was clearly very upset and angry, according to the witness’s account. Which is good – she should be. She should be flaming mad at Chris Brown – who I hope is now her ex-boyfriend.

Domestic abuse is an incredibly complicated issue, and it’s hard to explain. Some victims return to their abusers – that’s probably the most confusing part of domestic abuse. Those are the ones we hear about the most, because things get worse and worse until they end in some terribly dramatic scene. But a lot of abuse victims leave the first time it happens, press charges, and put their abuser in jail instead of just taking it. We obviously don’t know the whole story yet, but let’s hope everyone follows through in a responsible way.

Here’s Rihanna and Chris Brown performing at Z100′s Annual Jingle Ball Concert at Madison Square Garden on December 12th. Images thanks to WENN.

On December 7th, David Beckham and an unnamed bodyguard got into an altercation with a paparazzo. Da Mata, the photographer, was following Posh and Becks in a car before Beckham and his bodyguard harassed Da Mata, throwing his camera into a trashcan and beating him up.

Per the suit, [the bodyguard's] “oppressive and despicable” actions included grabbing the plaintiff’s camera and throwing it in a trash can, and then “violently” beating him when he got out of his car to retrieve it.

An eyewitness told E! News at the time that Da Mata had been trailing Beckham and wife Victoria when the Brit got out of his car and approached the paparazzo’s vehicle, enticing him to come out. Per our source, when Da Mata refused to budge, Beckham’s muscle went around to the passenger side and started throwing punches.

“They just can’t do this,” Da Mata said. “They put me on the floor, they got my camera, and they threw it in the trash can. They can’t do this to us.”

A police report was taken at the scene, but no criminal charges were ever filed in the incident.

Da Mata is claiming assault and battery, negligence, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress and conversion. He is seeking unspecified damages.

[from E!]

It’s never fun getting beaten up by a professionally trained bodyguard, but we don’t have the full story here. How close was Da Mata “trailing” the Beckhams? Had he been trying to cut them off? Was he following at an unsafe speed? It can get irritating when celebrities complain incessantly about the paparazzi, and most stars who throw fits in front of the cameras are laughed at rather than pitied. But there’s a difference between getting a good photograph and putting a celebrity in danger for the perfect shot. Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s up to the star to take the law into their own hands.

It may turn out that David was just in an irritable mood that day and the bodyguard was just following his boss’ lead, but we won’t know until it goes to court – if the Beckhams don’t settle out of court. They’ve certainly got a lot in the bank after those joint Armani ads.

Here’s David Beckham playing football for Milan in Dubai on 1/6/09 and in Milan on 1/17/09. Credit: WENN

Apparently “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino has quite the long history of not paying her bills. Last month we told you that Fantasia’s $1.3 million home was in foreclosure and would be auctioned off if she didn’t do anything. Though she’s had an entire month, Fantasia has failed to respond to any of the sheriff’s office’s dozen attempts to get in touch with her. The sheriff’s rep claims that they try to help people and give them the opportunity to pay before auctioning off someone’s home. Yet Fantasia doesn’t seem to be interested. And this isn’t the first time she’s failed to pay up on significant debts.

Fantasia Barrino – who faces the loss of her $1.3 million home here in a debtor’s auction set for noon Monday – is apparently ignoring the looming legal threat, officials told The Post yesterday. The inspirational “American Idol” winner owes a Florida credit company $65,000 – money she borrowed in 2006 to pay back taxes she owed the IRS.

Mecklenburg County sheriff’s deputies, who are responsible for enforcing civil court orders, have tried at least a dozen times to reach Barrino at the home and by phone, said Sgt. J.W. England, a supervisor of civil judgments. A deputy spoke a couple of times to Barrino’s mother, but never reached the star, who appears to be ignoring attempts to save her house, officials said. “We try very hard and give the defendant every opportunity to pay,” England said yesterday.

Over the course of about a year, Barrino has never responded to court documents, and no lawyer ever appeared in court to represent her, said Larry Goldman, a Charlotte attorney representing the credit company, Broward Energy Management. Barrino, 24, has made no payments and filed no documents since The Post reported a court-ordered lien on the property in Charlotte’s upscale Piper Glen neighborhood last month. “My client has continuously asked me why they won’t just pay it,” Goldman said. “I just don’t have an answer.”

[From the New York Post]

My goodness. It sounds like Fantasia has some money management problems. And like she’s living a lifestyle that’s more expensive than what she can afford. The Post goes into a few of her larger recent debt issues.

In 2005, Barrino nearly lost another home she owns in Charlotte as well as her red $240,000 Mercedes Benz. She apparently ignored a lien on that home, valued at $740,000, brought by the neighborhood association after she failed to pay fees and other costs. The case was eventually dismissed, according to court documents. Last year, Barrino failed to pay a promissory note on $187,809 she borrowed to buy her Mercedes. The dealership that sold her the car sued, but the matter was resolved.

[From the New York Post]

I wasn’t aware that semi-famous former “American Idol” winners could afford $240,000 cars. Actually, I guess I’m right: they can’t. Fantasia starred in “The Color Purple” on Broadway for a bit but left without an explanation. She was in a Lifetime movie and has put out some music. But she hasn’t been as wildly successful as other winners – nor has she completely faded into oblivion like some. She’s somewhere in the middle, but buying cars like she’s Carrie Underwood. Fantasia obviously needs to get her finances in order, and hopefully (miraculously) pull something together by Monday.

Here’s Fantasia at the Grammy’s in February. Images thanks to Bauer-Griffin.

Tom Cruise has gotten himself into all sorts of trouble over “Valkyrie.” First, there’s the fact that it sucks, according to nearly every review that’s been written. With the exception of a few where the reviewer was probably drunk and/or bribed. So really, we don’t need a second. But just to add another log to the fire, it turns out that one of Hitler’s globes – which is central to the movie – was replicated for the film. Illegally. The globe’s owner had its image copyrighted when he purchased it. A technicality that Cruise’s United Artists chose to completely ignore.

TOM Cruise, who fights the Nazis in “Valkyrie,” might now have to battle a San Francisco advertising executive who says the couch-jumping star used a replica of one of Adolf Hitler’s prized possessions in the movie without permission. Robert Pritikin – who penned such jingles as “Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat” and has a $40 million art collection – owns several Hitler artifacts, including the Fuehrer’s notorious globe, which he used to plan U-boat attacks from his compound in the Bavarian Alps.

The globe was replicated and prominently featured in “Valkyrie,” the thriller about a real-life plot to assassinate Hitler – and that has Pritikin mulling legal action. In 2007, Pritikin paid $100,000 for the globe and had its likeness copyrighted to keep it from being used in propaganda by sick neo-Nazi groups. So he was stunned to see it in the movie from Cruise’s United Artists studios.

Pritikin recently put the Hitler items up for sale through businessman Peter Marino and hopes Cruise may buy them. “I think it would be a wonderful gesture of good will on Tom Cruise’s part to purchase the globe along with all of the other Hitler artifacts owned by Mr. Pritikin and donate them to the Wiesenthal Center,” [investigator Paul] Barresi said. Added [investigator Dan] Hanks: “It would be a hell of a way for Tom Cruise to save the day for United Artists and be a real-life hero.”

[From Page Six]

Both of the investigators that were retained to look into the copyright issue said it was very possible United Artists didn’t know the globe’s image was copyrighted. But isn’t that one of the things legal departments are for? A lot of research supposedly went into this film, and that seems like a big oversight.

While I never side with Tom Cruise on much of anything – and I agree that it would be gracious of Tom to offer to buy the globe – it seems to me like Pritikin is trying to pressure him into it by having the story put in Page Six. He’d just put the items up for sale – how wonderful to have such a quick buyer! But it probably would be the quickest and easiest way out, and would avoid additional bad publicity for a bad film.

Here are Tom and Katie out and about in Manhattan yesterday. Images thanks to WENN and Fame.

It’s hard to hear the name Cisco Adler and think of anything but balls. That’s right, try to get that image out of your head again. Luckily, now you can associate something else with Cisco besides his low danglers: an incredibly lovely mug shot. In case Cisco ever struck you as the kind of guy that might actually be a gentleman disguised as a dirty rocker, this puts all that to rest. He was arrested for a classic rock star crime: a drunken bar fight.

Cisco Adler’s looks could only take him so far. The unkempt Whitestarr frontman managed to find his way into the hearts of Hollywood hotties Mischa Barton, Kimberly Stewart and Paris Hilton, but now he’s made it into the clink.

Following a show with Schwayze Wednesday at the Hub in Fargo, N.D., Adler was arrested for simple assault after punching a man during an argument that began over an unpaid tab, Fargo Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeff Skuza told E! News. “The band was playing and then they wouldn’t pay their tab,” Skuza said. “There was a disagreement about that and as [Adler] was being escorted out, he punched one of the security personnel,” said Skuza. “He was part of a large group that was fighting.”

According to dispatch logs, authorities were called around 12:30 a.m. with reports of a brawl involving up to 15 people, including venue security and management. Adler was taken into custody and released an hour later after posting $500 bail.

But although he might not be welcome at the Hub again anytime soon, his partner in rhyme, Shwayze, had his back. “A fight broke out between tour staff and 10 bouncers, Cisco appropriately defended himself, and will be performing in tonight’s soldout show,” Schwayze’s rep, David Patton, told E! News.

[From E! News]

While it’s nice of the other band’s rep to defend Cisco, something about his face tells me not to believe him. Or maybe it’s just the old idiom “Never trust a man who’s balls are bigger than his brain.” Sage advice indeed. If he really was just defending himself, good for him. But next time, I suggest he use his balls as a lasso and tie all the bad guys together until the cops get there. Now that’ll get you in the news for something more worthwhile than punching a guy.

Header of Cisco’s mug shot. And just because it shows what kind of guy he is, here’s Cisco groping some girl outside Foxtail nightclub in May. Images thanks to Splash.

Boy George scares the crap out of me. And male or female, he should scare the crap out of you too. If you are within 200 yards of him at any given moment there is a 7 out of 10 chance that he will handcuff you to a radiator and threaten to do incredibly degrading things to you. Seriously, the guy is all-out batshit insane. Assuming the charges against him are true, which… it sorta seems like they are.

George’s trial for false imprisonment and other really horrifying things (some legalese for you there) started today in London.

A Norwegian escort told a court Monday that Boy George manacled him to a bedroom wall and beat him with a metal chain after accusing him of hacking into his computer. The former Culture Club singer is on trial for the false imprisonment of 29-year-old Audun Carlsen. The 47-year-old singer, who is standing trial under his real name, George O’Dowd, denies the charge.

Carlsen told London’s Snaresbrook Crown Court that he met the singer through a Web site and went to his London home for a naked photo shoot. After the encounter Boy George sent a series e-mails accusing Carlsen of hacking into his computer, but Carlsen nonetheless agreed to return for a second photo session several weeks later in April 2007.

Carlsen told the jury that when he arrived Boy George and another man held him down and beat him before the singer handcuffed him to a hook in the bedroom wall. “George was slapping me and beating me and punching me and screaming things,” Carlsen said. Carlsen said he was able to escape by unscrewing the hook and running for the door. “I took a bit of time getting the door open and he had a metal chain that he was hitting me with,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen said he ran into the street clad only in his underwear. The court was shown photographs of red welts on Carlsen’s head and injuries to his arm which he said had been inflicted during the attack.

[From the Huffington Post]

Carlsen’s testimony sounds consistent with the published reports of the accounts he gave to the police. I’m guessing the defense’s main angle will be to try to discredit him by using his profession against him and/or finding character witnesses to do the same. Unfortunately for Boy George, it’s more than possible for the prosecution to do the same with him. He’s had a long list of relatively minor infractions including some drug charges.

People joke about this story because it’s so bizarre, but honestly it’s really horrifying. If you take out the name “Boy George” and just make it some random man, you realize this was a really terrible crime. The brutality is especially disturbing and hints at a deep problem. Combined with drugs, it’s easy to guess that Boy George may very well be a threat to others. I cannot imagine how he’d be able to survive prison, but I think there’s a decent chance that’s where he’ll end up.

Here’s Boy George deejaying at Queen Night Club in Paris in July of 2007. Images thanks to Fame.