‘Waitress’ star Keri Russell welcomes her first child

New York – Keri Russell is a mom.

The 31-year-old actress welcomed her first child, a boy named River Russell Deary, on June 9 in New York, her publicist, Jill Fritzo, said Tuesday.

Russell married Shane Deary, a contractor, in Manhattan on Valentine’s Day. The couple became engaged last year.

She stars as a woman grappling with an unexpected pregnancy in the independent romantic comedy “Waitress,” which has been warmly received by critics.

Russell portrayed college student Felicity Porter in the TV series “Felicity” for four years. The series ended in 2002.

She also starred in the films “Mission: Impossible III” and “The Upside of Anger,” and the TV miniseries “Into the West.”

Judge who presided over Anna Nicole Smith case to resign

Miami – Larry Seidlin, the wisecracking judge who presided in the dispute over Anna Nicole Smith’s remains and was lampooned for his sobbing announcement of the verdict, will resign next month, a court spokesman said Tuesday.

The circuit judge’s letter to Gov. Charlie Crist says, “it is now time for me to devote more of my daily life to my own young family and to pursue the many opportunities that have been offered to me outside the judicial system and I have disregarded until now.”

Seidlin, 57, gave no specifics on his plans after his July 31 resignation, though rumors have swirled for months that he was considering a deal for a television court show.

“He won’t say,” said Chris Stotz, a spokesman for the 17th Judicial Circuit. “He’s not commenting on what his future plans are.”

A phone message left for Seidlin at his Fort Lauderdale chambers was not immediately returned.

His resignation letter said his opportunities are varied but “all share in common a further commitment to helping my fellow citizens through roles in the educational system, the media and nonprofit organizations.”

Radio station’s billboards removed after Spears complains

Tampa, Fla. – Radio station billboards that featured unflattering photos of a bald, scowling Britney Spears have been taken down after the pop star’s attorneys threatened legal action.

In a letter to Clear Channel Communications Inc. dated Thursday, Spears’ attorneys accused the company of “offensive, unauthorized commercial exploitation” of the singer and demanded that the three billboards in the Tampa area be removed.

The billboards, advertisements for WFLZ FM’s “The MJ Morning Show,” depicted a bald Spears and show host Todd Schnitt along with the slogans “Total Nut Jobs,” “Shock Therapy” and “Certifiable.”