Store sues Winfrey’s mom for unpaid bill

Milwaukee – A high-end clothing store in Brookfield, Wis., is suing Oprah Winfrey’s mother for failing to pay her bill.

The civil complaint says Vernita Lee of Milwaukee owed Valentina nearly $156,000 for purchases and interest as of July 1st and has failed to make the monthly minimum payment of $2,000.

Store attorney Joseph Niebler Sr. says his client tried to resolve the matter with Lee before filing the lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit says Lee told store officials she doesn’t think she owes the money. Reached by telephone, Lee declined to comment on the lawsuit.

A nonbinding mediation session is set for Sept. 16.

Gene Simmons sued over Indycar deal

Los Angeles – A Los Angeles man claims in a lawsuit that Gene Simmons took him for a ride on a marketing deal with the Indy Racing League.

Allan Brown on Wednesday sued Simmons and two business partners, claiming the group cut him out of a 2006 deal between the Kiss bassist and the racing league.

Brown is seeking unspecified damages and is claiming fraud and slander. His suit alleges he helped broker the deal between Simmons and the IRL, but was cut out of the contract while on a personal vacation.

More than 40 million watch Palin speech

New York – More than 40 million people tuned in to the Republican convention Wednesday to hear vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin introduce herself to voters.

An audience of 37.2 million people watched Palin on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, Nielsen Media Research said Thursday. PBS estimated its audience at 3.9 million, based on a less reliable sample of several big cities. Nielsen does not count the audience for C-SPAN, which also showed the speech.

Viewers were far more interested in Palin than Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden. Biden’s speech to Democrats last week was seen by an estimated 24 million people.

Michael Moore to show new film free on Web

New York – Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free.

The film, “Slacker Uprising,” follows Moore’s 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday.

To receive the download, people can sign up at SlackerUprising.com.

Russell Brand brings British twist to MTV

Los Angeles – America, meet Russell Brand.

In his native England, he’s a comedy giant – instantly identifiable by his Einstein-like tousle of black hair and formfitting, chest-baring, glam-rock clothes – a television host and standup comic with his own radio show and weekly column in The Guardian. In the U.S., he’s that British guy who was in the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

But that all could change Sunday, when Brand hosts the MTV Video Music Awards – the TV institution that lured millions of viewers with Britney Spears’ fumbled comeback last year and her fabled kiss with Madonna before that.

Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, T.I. and Pink are among the performers set to appear on the live show, which begins at 8 p.m. CDT. Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Phelps are set to present awards. Spears will make an appearance, and other surprises are planned, though Brand won’t offer any hints.

Burglar sentenced for crime at Dunst’s hotel

New York – A drug addict who was arrested on charges of burglarizing Kirsten Dunst’s New York City hotel penthouse suite has been sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison.

Jarrod Beinerman was arrested on burglary and larceny charges after a security camera captured his movements in Manhattan’s SoHo Grand Hotel in August 2007. He was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of attempted burglary. Police say cash, cameras, an iPod, wallets and purses were stolen from Dunst’s suite.

Defense lawyer Mitchell Elman says Beinerman faces sentencing Wednesday on a drug charge.

David Spade is father of Playboy pinup’s baby

New York – David Spade is the father of Playboy playmate Jillian Grace’s newborn daughter, Spade’s representative said Thursday.

The baby girl was born Aug. 26 in Missouri. Spade plans to visit her on his first break from filming the CBS sitcom “Rules of Engagement,” publicist Meredith O’Sullivan said. No further details were provided.

The 44-year-old comedian told TMZ.com earlier this year that he had a brief relationship with Grace and would accept responsibility if confirmed to be the father of her child.