‘Simple Life’ family snubbed

Little Rock, Ark. — The farm family that played host to heiress Paris Hilton and her friend Nicole Richie for the first season of “The Simple Life” says life has not always been easy since the show aired.

Albert and Janet Leding, of Altus, say they have received reams of fan mail and dozens of friendly phone calls since the first season aired. But mom Janet Leding says one message hurt her feelings.

When Entertainment Weekly magazine asked Hilton last month if she kept in touch with the Ledings, she replied, “I changed my number.”

Leding wonders why.

“She made us sound like we were trying to stalk her,” Janet Leding said. “Who’s been calling her? … We weren’t trying to call them all the time. We don’t care one way or other.”

Armstrong loses fight over book

Paris — An appeals court Friday rejected Lance Armstrong’s attempt to force a publisher to insert the cycling star’s denial of doping allegations into copies of a new book.

Armstrong filed an appeal last week after a lower court rejected his bid to force publisher La Martiniere to insert a rebuttal into “L.A. Confidential, the Secrets of Lance Armstrong.”

The appeals court upheld a lower court decision Friday.

In the French-language book, which hit French bookstores two weeks ago, former Armstrong assistant Emma O’Reilly claims Armstrong once asked her to get rid of used syringes and give him makeup to conceal needle marks on his right arm.

Monroe’s mandolin in dispute

Rosine, Ky. — A legal fight over who will retain the rights to bluegrass music pioneer Bill Monroe’s mandolin is headed to trial later this month in Tennessee.

Monroe’s son, James Monroe, wants to sell the Gibson F-5 mandolin to the Ohio County Industrial Foundation instead of the Bill Monroe Foundation.

The Monroe foundation’s executive director, Campbell Mercer, said he balked at Monroe’s plan outlined during recent mediation in Nashville.

A deal for the Monroe foundation to buy the mandolin fell through in October 2002. The effort, spearheaded by Mercer, paid $162,500 toward the $1.1 million contracted price of the mandolin. But a bank loan for part of the money fell through “for reasons that will be discussed in the trial,” Mercer said.

Bill Monroe purchased the mandolin in 1943 at a Miami barbershop for about $150. It has been regarded as a key to his stylistic development.

Lachey snags acting gig

New York — Nick Lachey, pop star and husband of Jessica Simpson, is set to appear in six “Charmed” episodes, the WB network said Friday.

Lachey, 30, will appear as a ghost columnist, filling in for Alyssa Milano’s character, Phoebe Halliwell. The supernatural drama about three witches, all sisters, also stars Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs.