Settlement with Jackson to be secret

London — The details of pop star Michael Jackson’s settlement with a Bahraini prince are to remain confidential, a lawyer for the royal said Monday.

Attorney Bankim Thanki confirmed to London’s High Court that Jackson and Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had settled their legal dispute over a planned music project that fell apart in 2006.

Thanki said details of the agreement would not be disclosed.

Al Khalifa first befriended Jackson in the wake of his trial on child molestation charges in California. The sheik took the singer under his wing after he was acquitted in June 2005, moving him to Bahrain and showering him with money.

The sheik said the cash was an advance on a joint pop music venture that Jackson never fulfilled. Jackson denied the charge, saying the money was freely given. Al Khalifa was suing for $7 million, the amount he claims he gave Jackson as part of their project.

Winfrey seeks dismissal of defamation lawsuit

Philadelphia — Oprah Winfrey wants a court to dismiss or order arbitration in a defamation lawsuit filed by the ex-headmistress of her girls school in South Africa.

Nomvuyo Mzamane sued over remarks the media mogul made following sex-abuse complaints at the $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, near Johannesburg. A dorm matron who worked under Mzamane was charged with abusing six students last year.

According to the lawsuit, filed last month in Philadelphia, Winfrey falsely implied that Mzamane wasn’t trustworthy through comments about the need to clean house and remarks such as, “I thought she cared about the girls of South Africa.”

Her lawsuit seeks more than $250,000 on five defamation and related counts from Winfrey and her production companies.

Winfrey denies making any false or defamatory statements and argues that the federal suit should not proceed in Pennsylvania.

Madonna: Work good distraction from split

New York — Madonna’s marital breakup is tough, but she says she’s grateful that her heavy workload “provides a distraction that keeps me going.”

“I’m sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life,” Madonna told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday. “It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do.”

Last week, Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce after eight years of marriage.

Among her current projects is promoting her documentary “I Am Because We Are,” which explores the impoverished African nation of Malawi, where more than 1 million children are orphaned by AIDS. The film has its TV premiere on Sundance Channel Dec. 1.

Fox’s Hannity, Colmes going separate ways

New York — Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity is losing his liberal half.

Alan Colmes of the network’s “Hannity & Colmes” said Monday that he’ll be leaving the prime-time show after 12 years. He’ll continue as a commentator on Fox programs, keep doing his radio show and is developing a weekend show at Fox.

“We have a Democratic House, Senate and president,” Colmes said in an interview. “My work is done.”

Colmes said he approached an executive Fox earlier this year about wanting to try something different and ending his time on the show, which airs live each weeknight. He said he was “looking forward to having dinner with my wife a couple of times a week.”

Their show is second only to Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor” in prime-time cable ratings, and competes against Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and Larry King on CNN.

No decision has been made on who will replace Colmes, or whether he will be replaced at all.

Boy George on trial for false imprisonment

London — A Norwegian escort told a court Monday that Boy George manacled him to a bedroom wall and beat him with a metal chain after accusing him of hacking into his computer.

The former Culture Club singer is on trial for the false imprisonment of 29-year-old Audun Carlsen.

The 47-year-old singer, who is standing trial under his real name, George O’Dowd, denies the charge.

Carlsen told London’s Snaresbrook Crown Court that he met the singer through a Web site and went to his London home for a naked photo shoot. After the encounter Boy George sent a series e-mails accusing Carlsen of hacking into his computer, but Carlsen nonetheless agreed to return for a second photo session several weeks later in April 2007.

Carlsen told the jury that when he arrived Boy George and another man held him down and beat him before the singer handcuffed him to a hook in the bedroom wall.

“George was slapping me and beating me and punching me and screaming things,” Carlsen said. Carlsen said he was able to escape by unscrewing the hook and running for the door.

Carlsen said he ran into the street clad only in his underwear.