Damon dating, not engaged

Los Angeles — Rumors of Matt Damon’s engagement have been greatly exaggerated, according to the actor’s publicist, who says he and Odessa Whitmire are only dating.

“The rumor that he’s getting engaged has been fabricated over the past couple of weeks, but it’s not true,” Damon’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, said Monday.

“He is dating Ms. Whitmire,” Allen said. “But he is not engaged.”

The couple met when Whitmire was working as an assistant to Damon’s friend and “Good Will Hunting” co-star, Ben Affleck.

Britney sues shoemaker

Los Angeles — Britney Spears has sued Skechers for breach of agreement, claiming the shoemaker failed to pay her adequately for marketing a line of roller skates and accessories.

The $1.5 million federal lawsuit, filed Monday, claims the company failed to find outside businesses to manufacture accessories for the line. Instead, Skechers used the pop singer’s presence in advertisements to increase sales of its own similar skate products, according to the lawsuit.

As a result, Spears did not receive expected bonuses for sales of her line, the lawsuit said.

The action also claims that ads featuring Spears ran before skates from her collection were available, causing customers to buy Skechers’ skates instead.

Right up his alley

Muncie, Ind. — David Letterman has sent city officials a note of thanks for naming a downtown alley after him.

City officials decided last month to name the alley after the “Late Show” host, who is a Ball State University graduate.

The idea to name the passageway “Dave’s Alley” came after Letterman asked Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson to rename Interstate 465, the highway that encircles the city, the David Letterman Expressway in October.

Mayor Dan Canan recently received a note from Letterman, thanking the people of Muncie for the honor. “I couldn’t be more proud to have an alley bearing my name,” Letterman wrote.

Musicals strike a chord

Los Angeles — With “Chicago” coming on the heels of her own “Moulin Rouge,” Nicole Kidman figures the movie musical is back for good.

Kidman, who earned an Academy Award nomination for last year’s musical “Moulin Rouge,” recently caught a screening of the zestful film adaptation of the stage hit “Chicago” and came away convinced that the long-neglected genre has a good future.

“I think it’s made its comeback, and now it’s here to stay,” Kidman said. “It’s been proven that there is definitely an audience for musicals, and it’s a genre we miss.”

Once a Hollywood staple, musicals generally have been out of favor over the last 30 years.