Richie’s wedding off

New York – Nicole Richie and her fiance, Adam Goldstein, have called off their nine-month engagement.

Richie’s publicist, Cindy Guagenti, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the couple have split. She said the breakup had been in the works for several days, but would not give any further details.

The split was first reported by “Access Hollywood” and Us Weekly magazine.

Richie, 24, co-star of the reality series “The Simple Life,” and Goldstein, a professional club DJ who goes by the name DJ AM, had dated for a year before becoming engaged in February.

Lawsuit against Nolte claims negligence

Santa Monica, Calif. – A lawsuit by parents of a teenager who says she was raped during a party at Nick Nolte’s home can include evidence of previous drug and alcohol use by the actor and his son, a judge has ruled.

Nolte’s publicist has said the actor was not home during the party. However, the lawsuit claims he was negligent, contending that the home had “a long history of furnishing drugs and/or alcohol to minors.”

The suit states the girl, then 15, was given the date-rape drug GHB and sexually assaulted at a party on Jan. 25, 2003.

Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg on Tuesday said prior behavior is “certainly relevant” to the case. He denied a motion by defense attorneys to limit questioning of witnesses to what happened the night of the party.

A motion by attorneys for Nolte and his son argued that broader questioning was irrelevant to the case and would cause “unwarranted annoyance and embarrassment.” Nolte’s son, who was a minor at the time of the incident, was not named in the suit.

Character resurrection

New York – Stephanie March, a former cast member of NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” is joining producer Dick Wolf’s new legal drama, “Conviction.”

“Conviction,” which debuts early next year, will focus on young assistant district attorneys in Manhattan. March will reprise her character, prosecutor Alexandra Cabot, who was shot on “SVU” and sent away with a changed identity.

The cast also includes Eric Balfour, Anson Mount, Jordan Bridges, Julianne Nicholson, Milena Govich and J. August Richards.

“We will be dealing extensively with characters’ back stories and personal lives,” Wolf, creator and executive producer of the “Law & Order dramas, said in a statement Tuesday. “I am delighted with the extraordinary cast we have assembled, which will give the show depth and emotional intensity.”

The 31-year-old March played Cabot on “SVU” from 2000-03. In “Conviction,” she will be the bureau chief for the group of young ADAs.

Lohan misses ‘Regis’ show

New York – Even in absence, Lindsay Lohan makes news.

The teen starlet missed a scheduled appearance on “Live with Regis and Kelly” Tuesday morning. Though stars frequently change appointments with TV shows, Lohan’s no-show was unusual because the live program was informed minutes after showtime.

On air, Regis Philbin announced: “Lindsay Lohan is sick. She’s not coming. Well, that’s kind of a blow.”

“She has food poisoning,” Philbin said. “What’d they find out, about (9:05)? … She tried to make it.”

The talk show filled time with an interview and performance by Ashanti.

The 19-year-old actress-pop star did make it to MTV’s “TRL” Tuesday afternoon. In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Lohan acknowledged feeling very tired having only gotten two hours sleep; she arrived in New York early that morning after her plane from Los Angeles was delayed several hours. Later Monday, she was seen at the “King Kong” premiere.

On Wednesday, Lohan told syndicated entertainment show “Access Hollywood” that, “I had some food poisoning, which wasn’t really fun.”

She apologized to Philbin and co-host Kelly Ripa on “Access”: “I know it came across really bad … I’ll make it up to you, I swear!”

New deal keeps punk venue CBGB’s open for now

New York – Punk rock got a new lease on life on Wednesday – or at least a new lease at CBGB’s.

The legendary punk venue, known as the launching pad for influential bands such as the Ramones and Talking Heads, announced an agreement with its landlord Wednesday to keep the club’s doors open through October, when it must move.

CBGB’s lease expired in August, with the landlord announcing it wanted the club out after a five-year fight. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office helped reach an agreement that avoided a court battle with the Bowery Residents Committee, a homeless advocacy group that owns the lease on the property.

Hilly Kristal, the grizzled owner who opened CBGB’s in 1973, said he’s already looking for a new location in lower Manhattan and also is considering opening a branch in Las Vegas.

“Things are different all the time – look at the ’70s, the ’80s, the ’90s,” Kristal said.

“The most important thing is we’re keeping the integrity of CBGB’s. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will have the same ingredients.”