Madonna, re-invented

New York – Madonna isn’t the person she once was – and that’s the way she wants it.

These days, the former Material Girl spends more time with her two children than she does performing. She collects art instead of boyfriends, and she’s traded in her leather and lace undergarments for more demure outfits.

In the August issue of Vogue magazine, Madonna is featured in a lengthy interview and a photo spread at the English country estate she shares with her children, 8-year-old Lourdes (Lola) and 4-year-old Rocco, and her director-husband, Guy Ritchie (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”).

The photos include Madonna feeding chickens on the lawns of Ashcombe wearing a cream-colored Grace Kelly-inspired chiffon dress and cashmere cardigan and playing dress-up with her children in her sitting room while wearing a yellow cashmere cardigan and multicolored polka-dot silk dress.

The 46-year-old singer-actress says she’s different from the sexed-up star featured in 1991’s “Madonna: Truth or Dare.” In some ways, that film is hard for her to watch, she tells Vogue.

“I was a very selfish person. You go through periods of your life where the world does revolve around you, but you can’t live your whole life that way,” she is quoted as saying. “On the other hand, I kind of admire my spunk and directness!”

Madonna stars in a new documentary about her life, “I’m Going to Tell You a Secret,” that is due out later this year. She says the film “starts with the struggle of a dancer trying to get into a show” and ends with her visit to Israel.

The film also features parts of Madonna’s most recent tour, called “Re-Invention.”

Celebrity lawsuit, part I

New York – Lil’ Kim has filed a $6 million lawsuit against one of the two men who gave wounding testimony at her recent trial on perjury and conspiracy charges.

Lil’ Kim was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for lying to a federal grand jury about her involvement in a 2001 gun battle outside a Manhattan radio station.

The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, has been ordered to report to prison Sept. 19.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court, she accuses James “Lil’ Cease” Lloyd of preparing to release an unauthorized DVD, “The Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A. Part II: Reloaded.” Lil’ Kim says she left Junior M.A.F.I.A., which included Lloyd, in 2001.

Lil’ Kim was convicted after she told a grand jury that she didn’t see her manager and a friend at the scene of a gunfight outside WQHT-FM, the Manhattan radio station known as Hot 97. A man was injured in the shootout.

In court, Lloyd and Antoine “Banger” Spain – who also worked in the Junior M.A.F.I.A. – contradicted her testimony.

Celebrity lawsuit, part II

Los Angeles – Two forensic experts have testified that a signature on a model release form involving topless photos of Cameron Diaz appeared to be forged.

Photographer John Rutter is accused of trying to blackmail Diaz over the pictures he took in 1992, before she became famous, and attempted to sell back to her in 2003 for $3.5 million, before her film “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” was released.

Forensic document examiner Bruce Greenwood, who has analyzed copies of Diaz’s writings, testified Monday that the signature on the release form appeared to be forged.

Diaz testified last week that Rutter told her if she didn’t buy the photos, he could sell them for $5 million to buyers he said would use them to portray her as a “bad angel.”

Prosecutors said Rutter allegedly showed Diaz the release form when he tried to blackmail her and the actress said it wasn’t her signature.

Rutter, 42, is charged with attempted grand theft for the alleged blackmail scheme, forgery for the signature on the form and perjury for declaring in a separate civil case that the signature was authentic. If convicted, he could face up to six years in prison. An extortion charge has been dropped.

Diaz, 32, is suing Rutter in civil court. A judge has issued a permanent injunction distribution of the photos.

Musicians band together

New York – Paul Shaffer, musical director for “The Late Show With David Letterman,” will host two benefit-tribute concerts for Mike Smith, lead singer and keyboard player for the Dave Clark Five, who suffers from spinal cord injuries after an accident at his home in Spain in 2003.

The concert will feature performances by The Zombies, Peter and Gordon, Billy J. Kramer, original Moody Blues lead singer Denny Laine and Beatles cover band The Fab Faux.

“A Tribute to Mike Smith” will be held Aug. 2 at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York. The first show will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio. All proceeds will benefit Smith, who is paralyzed below the rib cage and has very limited use of his upper body, it was announced Sunday.

A 10-day eBay auction to benefit Smith begins July 31 and will include items such as an autographed drumhead signed by Ringo Starr, Monty Python memorabilia and VIP tickets to a Brian Wilson concert.