The Fix

"Borat" faces lawsuit. Richards tosses laptops. Plus: Comedy Central had Rumsfeld scoop?

Published November 10, 2006 2:30PM (EST)

Morning Briefing:
Lawsuit for "Borat": On the same day the movie is expanding to triple the number of theaters as its opening weekend, "Borat" is facing its first lawsuit. Claiming they suffered "humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress, loss of reputation, goodwill and standing in the community," two of the three frat boys featured in the movie are suing 20th Century Fox and One America Productions, the production company behind the film, claiming that they were promised their identities would not be revealed and the movie would never screen in the U.S. (for more, see Salon's rundown of what's real in "Borat"). (TMZ, Variety)

Obituaries in the news: Journalism lost two major voices on Thursday. Ed Bradley, a fixture for 25 years on "60 Minutes" and one of the first prominent black journalists, died from complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Manhattan at age 65. Ellen Willis, the celebrated feminist and cultural critic who was the first pop-music critic of the New Yorker, died at her home in Queens, N.Y., from lung cancer. She was 64. (People, New York Times)

Also:
In a weird incident Thursday, Denise Richards got into a fight with paparazzi at a casino in Vancouver, British Columbia, where's she's filming a movie. "A verbal argument ensued and a short while later two laptops were thrown over the second floor landing," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. Shrapnel from the laptops, apparently belonging to the paparazzi and thrown by Richards, left two elderly women with minor cuts and bruises. (Reuters) ... Baldwin brother Daniel was arrested on Wednesday in California on grand theft auto charges on suspicion of stealing an acquaintance's SUV. (Associated Press) ... Disney's fourth-quarter earnings this year have doubled from last year's -- thanks largely to "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," the company earned $782 million in its past quarter. (Hollywood Reporter) ... After splitting with Kevin Federline, Britney Spears is returning to a working relationship with Larry Rudolph, the entertainment lawyer who discovered her at age 13 and managed her into pop stardom. Spears fired Rudolph the day she married Federline, reportedly because Rudolph insisted she sign a prenup. (N.Y. Daily News) ... The fake news is becoming real: A post on Comedy Central's CC Insider blog seems to have broken the story on Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. (CC Insider)

Turn On:
On Friday, the extreme adventure show "Man vs. Wild" (Discovery, 9 p.m. EST) premieres, there's a new episode of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m. EST), and Cinemax launches its "Star Wars Marathon" (midnight EST), showing all six movies in a row over the weekend. On Saturday, the documentary "I Trust You to Kill Me" (VH1, 9 p.m. EST) follows Kiefer Sutherland and his indie label act, Rocco DeLuca & the Burden. And on Sunday, it's the first part of the series finale of "Prime Suspect: The Final Act" (PBS, check local listings), starring Helen Mirren.

On the Talk Shows:
Larry King (CNN, 9 p.m. EST): Larry talks to "Dancing With the Stars" contestants
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST): Daniel Craig, documentary film subject Teri Horton, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, a Top 10 List with Jorge Garcia from "Lost"
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST): Lindsay Lohan, Emmitt Smith, Army of Anyone
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST): Meredith Vieira, Greg Grunberg, Old Crow Medicine Show
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST): Ashley Judd, Seth MacFarlane, Pet Shop Boys
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST): Don Rickles, Nick and Aaron Carter, the Hold Steady

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By Scott Lamb

Scott Lamb is a senior editor at BuzzFeed.com.

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