Owen Wilson says ‘Dupree’ character is no rip-off

Los Angeles – Owen Wilson has denied any connection between his new movie, “You, Me and Dupree,” and ’70s supergroup Steely Dan, a spokesman for the actor said Friday.

The band recently posted a letter on its Web site claiming that Wilson’s Dupree character was based on their Grammy-winning song, “Cousin Dupree,” about a couch-hopping houseguest.

In a statement released by his spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, Wilson said: “I have never heard the song ‘Cousin Dupree’ and I don’t even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is. I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, ‘HEY 19.”‘

Larry Solters, a spokesman for the band’s management company, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Steely Dan released a string of hits in the ’70s, including “Hey Nineteen,” “Reeling in the Years” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

“There are some pretty heavy people who are upset about this whole thing and we can’t guarantee what kind of heat little Owen may be bringing down on himself,” band leaders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen wrote in the letter.

The band asked Wilson, 37, to appear at a concert to apologize to its fans.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe to make London stage debut

London – Daniel Radcliffe will strip off his Harry Potter eyeglasses and robes for his London stage debut next year.

The 17-year-old actor, who plays the bespectacled schoolboy wizard in the Hollywood adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s novels, will star as a troubled stableboy in Peter Shaffer’s “Equus.”

The play delves into the psyche of a boy named Alan Strang who blinds six horses with a metal spike. The production is scheduled to open in March in the West End theater district, said spokesman Peter Thompson.

“It is an extraordinary play, and he’s very much looking forward to the role,” Radcliffe’s spokeswoman, Vanessa Davies, said Friday. “He is maturing as an actor and beginning to take on new and challenging roles.”

In one scene the actor playing Strang is required to simulate sexual ecstasy while riding a horse naked. But Davies said nudity was not the focus of the play.

Jada Pinkett Smith says TomKat’s daughter ‘beauty’

New York – TomKat’s daughter, Suri, hasn’t been seen in public since her April 18 birth. But a second sighting has been reported, this time by Jada Pinkett Smith.

“She’s one of the sweetest babies I’ve ever met in my life,” Pinkett Smith tells People magazine. “She’s an absolute beauty and she’s Daddy’s little girl.”

Pinkett Smith and her husband, Will Smith, have visited Suri twice, both times at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., People reported on its Web site.

“She’s the cutest little baby. She’s got a head full of black, beautiful hair,” the 34-year-old actress tells the magazine. “She’s beautiful and they’re very happy and they need to be left alone.”

Arnold Robinson, a spokesman for Cruise, has said that if and when Cruise, 44, and Holmes, 27, decide to introduce their daughter to the world, “it will be at their discretion and not anybody else’s.

Lance Bass’ boyfriend ‘proud’ the ‘N Sync star came out

New York – Lance Bass’ boyfriend, reality star Reichen Lehmkuhl, says he supports the former ‘N Sync star’s decision to reveal that he is gay.

“I will say that Lance is happier than he has ever been,” Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS’ “Amazing Race,” told “Access Hollywood” in an interview broadcast Friday.

“It has been a long ride and it’s a huge relief, and I couldn’t be happier for him and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Lehmkuhl, 32, says.

Earlier this week, Bass, 27, told People magazine he had decided to “speak my mind” because rumors about his sexuality were starting to affect his daily life. The singer also said he is in a “very stable” relationship with Lehmkuhl.

Actor Mel Gibson arrested on suspicion of DUI

Malibu, Calif. – Mel Gibson was arrested early Friday for suspicion of driving under the influence, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.

Gibson’s vehicle was speeding east on the Pacific Coast Highway when officers stopped him at 2:36 a.m., Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

Gibson, 50, was booked at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s station at 4:06 a.m., according to department records. The actor-director was cited and released, Whitmore said. Bail was set at $5,000.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Whitmore said. “As we would do with anyone, we don’t want to release any more since the information is fragmentary.”