Beating case against Snoop Dogg begins

Santa Monica, Calif. — A man suing Snoop Dogg for millions told a jury Friday that the euphoria of being near one of his idols quickly turned to terror during a 2005 concert when he was savagely beaten.

Richard Monroe Jr. claims the rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, hit him with a brass-knuckle microphone after he jumped onstage and put his hand on the performer’s shoulder.

Broadus sat a few feet away as Monroe described waking up naked, robbed, and in a pool of blood after the beatdown by other performers and the rapper’s security detail. A videotape of the incident, which occurred at the White River Amphitheater near Seattle, was also shown to jurors Friday.

Broadus’ attorneys said the video doesn’t show the blow to the back of the head that Monroe claims the rapper delivered, nor evidence that the rapper should be forced to pay any damages.

They told jurors during the trial’s opening moments Friday that Broadus’ security guards had mere seconds to react when Monroe — who stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds — came on stage unexpectedly.

“Mr. Broadus thought he was being attacked,” said attorney Hayes Michel.

Nobel laureate Morrison dedicates bench in Ohio

Oberlin, Ohio — Nobel Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison says her campaign to commemorate African-American historical sites has brought her home.

Morrison was in Ohio on Thursday to dedicate a memorial bench in Oberlin, a stop on the Underground Railroad. The 78-year-old author grew up in Lorain, 11 miles away in the region west of Cleveland, and says her books such as “Beloved” grew out of the stories shared around her mother’s kitchen table.

The bench is one of 10 planned across the country as part of Morrison’s “A Bench by the Road Project” marking key locations in African-American history.

She said Oberlin is an ideal spot for a bench, because it was a town where slaves on the run found assistance from both blacks and whites.

Mary-Kate Olsen takes Tribeca role seriously

New York — Mary-Kate Olsen is taking her duties as a juror at the Tribeca Film Festival as seriously as an A-student getting ready for the first day of school.

“I wish there was a class. It is a huge honor to be a part of it and I was asked to be a part of it,” said the notoriously media-shy actress as she spoke of her juror duties at Chanel’s annual dinner for the film festival.

“I have been watching the movies and just started. I don’t really know what we do or what is going to happen yet. I am just seeing how the week starts,” she said. “I just got my pamphlet this morning. I have already watched all of the shorts. This is fun.”

The annual festival, based in downtown Manhattan, was founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Both attended Thursday’s dinner, along with fellow Tribeca jurors Adrian Brody and Debra Messing, as well as Academy Award-nominees Viola Davis and Melissa Leo, and Kerry Washington and Bradley Cooper.

Leonard Nimoy open to more ‘Star Trek’

Los Angeles — Leonard Nimoy says he would be on board for more “Star Trek.”

After a 19-year absence, Nimoy reprises his iconic role as Mr. Spock in director J.J. Abrams’ new “Star Trek” prequel opposite Zachary Quinto, who stars as a younger version of the half-Vulcan, half-human science officer.

“Star Trek” studio Paramount Pictures is already preparing a sequel to the highly anticipated sci-fi franchise reboot set to premiere May 8.

“If J.J. Abrams calls me, I answer the phone,” Nimoy said during a recent interview. “I don’t say ‘never’ anymore.”

Nimoy, 78, chuckled when asked about possibly reuniting on-screen with William Shatner, the original James T. Kirk actor who doesn’t appear in the new voyage. Nimoy said Shatner told him “now we’re even” in regard to appearing in the “Trek” prequel after Shatner cameoed without Nimoy in 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations,” which featured the death of Kirk.

Rihanna seeking return of pricey jewelry

Los Angeles — Rihanna is seeking the return of $1.4 million in jewelry she was wearing the night she was allegedly beaten by Chris Brown.

Donald Etra, an attorney for the “Umbrella” singer, filed a motion Tuesday asking that Los Angeles police and prosecutors return a pair of earrings and three rings, which were seized as evidence.

The motion states that Brown’s attorney, and a Los Angeles Police Department detective overseeing the case, do not object to the return of the items. They have agreed that photographs can be used if the case goes to trial, the documents state.

The filing includes a general description of the items, saying they all are made of “yellow metal” and all but one includes “white stones.” The value of the items is at least $1.4 million, the motion states. It argues that photographs of the items will satisfy the needs of attorneys and asks the court “to order the return of the property to (Rihanna) without further delay.”

The jewelry was part of the ensemble that Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, was wearing when Brown allegedly beat her while driving home from a pre-Grammy party.