People in the news

Rapper’s mom may have died from surgery

Los Angeles – An autopsy was scheduled for the mother of Kanye West after preliminary information suggested she died of surgical complications, a coroner’s investigator said Monday.

What kind of surgery Donda West had was not immediately clear. West had approached a plastic surgeon months ago about a procedure, but he never performed it because she did not return with a medical clearance for a pre-existing condition that concerned him, the surgeon’s publicist said Monday.

West died Saturday night at age 58 at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Marina del Rey, where paramedics took her after she stopped breathing at her home, according to Deborah Ettinger, a hospital vice president.

“We tried to resuscitate her, but were unsuccessful,” Ettinger said, adding that she did not have surgery at the hospital.

Preliminary information indicated she died from “complications of surgery,” Lt. Fred Corral told The Associated Press. An autopsy was expected to be conducted by Wednesday, Corral said.

The Kanye West Foundation referred calls to a publicist who did not immediately respond to messages for comment.

Patricia Green, a consultant who has worked as a publicist for West in the past, had previously told news agencies that West died after cosmetic surgery. She backed away from those comments in later interviews with the AP, saying she was not sure of the cause because she had received conflicting information.

Attorney may seek video of Spears driving

Los Angeles – There could be more trouble ahead for Britney Spears in her custody battle.

Kevin Federline’s lawyer says he may try to subpoena video footage that apparently shows the pop princess running a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection while driving with their two young sons in the back seat.

Attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan says he’s weighing whether to seek a subpoena from the court Wednesday for the footage, which was posted on the celebrity news Web site TMZ.com. Separately, TMZ reported that it was contacted by Kaplan.

Kaplan declined further comment, but the footage could support his request to a Superior Court commissioner to stop Spears from driving when her sons are in her car.

Federline has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears has defied court orders.

A message left for an attorney for Spears, Anne Kiley, wasn’t immediately returned Monday.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck announces son’s name

New York – Elisabeth Hasselbeck has revealed the name of her newborn son: Taylor Thomas Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” called the daytime talk show Monday to announce the name. The baby was born Friday at an Arizona hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.

The 30-year-old Hasselbeck – typically chipper but sounding tired – said she was in labor for what seemed like “four or five thousand hours.”

She began a 2 1/2-month maternity leave Oct. 23. Her husband, Tim Hasselbeck, is a backup quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

The couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Grace, has been showering Taylor with attention – and trying to feed him Goldfish crackers, she said.

Oscar-winning director Delbert Mann dies

Los Angeles – Delbert Mann, who directed Paddy Chayefsky’s classic teleplays “Marty” and “The Bachelor Party” and then transformed them into big-screen triumphs, has died. He was 87.

Mann died of pneumonia Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his son Fred Mann said Monday.

Mann’s 1955 feature version of “Marty” won four Oscars, including for best picture and director.

The low-budget film with mostly little-known actors told the stark, poignant story of a 34-year-old Brooklyn butcher, played by Ernest Borgnine, who felt he was too ugly to find love. His life is changed when he meets an equally shy but sweet woman played by Betsy Blair.

“I knew we had a good story because I had already done it on television,” Mann once said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But I certainly never expected it to be the hit that it turned out to be.”

Dennis Quaid and wife welcome twins

New York – The Quaid twins have arrived.

Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace on Thursday in Santa Monica, Calif., the actor’s publicist, Cara Tripicchio, said Monday.

The couple are the biological parents of the twins, who were born to a surrogate mother. Thomas weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces; his sister weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces, Tripicchio said.

“God has definitely blessed us,” the couple said in a statement.

Quaid, 53, has a 15-year-old son, Jack Henry Quaid, from his marriage to Meg Ryan.

His screen credits include “Far From Heaven,” “The Rookie,” “The Right Stuff,” “Great Balls of Fire!” and “The Parent Trap.”

Quaid and Kimberly Buffington were married in 2004.