People

Charge against Ryder dropped

Beverly Hills, Calif. A judge dismissed a drug charge Wednesday against actress Winona Ryder and rescheduled her trial for Oct. 24 on three remaining felony counts from her shoplifting arrest.

Superior Court Judge Elden Fox ruled in favor of a prosecution motion to dismiss the charge that Ryder was illegally carrying painkillers when she was arrested last Dec. 12 outside a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills.

“It’s unfortunate it’s taken them 10 months to do this,” said Mark Geragos, Ryder’s attorney. “I applaud them.”

Trial of Diana’s butler halted

London A judge halted the theft trial of Princess Diana’s butler on Wednesday and dismissed the jury without public explanation.

The trial of Paul Burrell, which has filled tabloid pages for 2 1/2 days, is expected to restart at the Old Bailey criminal court today, with a new jury of seven men and five women who were sworn in Wednesday afternoon. They were told the case would last six weeks.

Burrell the man Diana called “my rock” has pleaded innocent to three charges relating to the theft of hundreds of items from the princess and other members of the royal family.

The property allegedly included letters, photos, compact discs, clothing and other personal items.

Burrell, 44, maintains all were given to him by the princess for safekeeping.

Touchy about his name

Nashville, Tenn. Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams is not amused by the similarity of his name to 1980s rocker Bryan Adams.

At a Ryan Adams concert Tuesday at the Ryman Auditorium, someone in the audience yelled out a request for “Summer of ’69,” a Bryan Adams hit.

Ryan Adams, former leader of the band Whiskeytown, reacted with stream of expletives and ordered the house lights turned on, The Tennessean newspaper reported.

The alternative country musician found the fan who made the joke request, paid him $30 cash as a refund for the show, ordered him to leave and said he wouldn’t play another note until that happened.

Ryman general manager Pam Matthews stopped the fan on his way out, “apologized profusely” and allowed him back in.

The fan kept Adams’ $30.

Dude, you’re keepin’ your job

Los Angeles Despite the rumors, Dell Computer’s sly, slacker pitchman “Steven” “Dude, yer gettin’ a Dell!” is going to be around for more Dell commercials, says the actor’s agent.

“Dell loves him, and he loves Dell,” Bonnie Schumofsky, agent for 21-year-old actor Ben Curtis, said Wednesday. “The rumors that he was given a pink slip are untrue.”

Speculation about Steven’s future started when the Texas-based company began airing commercials featuring other young actors.

“We’re just trying some new things,” said Dell spokesman Bob Kaufmann. “This does not mean the end of Steven’s relationship with Dell.”