Hero pilot faces off against octuplets mom

New York — The ever competitive world of morning network television will see an intriguing battle for viewers on Monday: the hero pilot vs. the tired mom.

After an uncharacteristic loss in the booking competition, NBC’s mighty “Today” show struck back late Thursday by announcing that Ann Curry’s interview with Nadya Suleman, the California woman who gave birth to octuplets, will air on Monday.

“Today” is airing a quick tease of its interview on Friday.

Both ABC’s “Good Morning America” and CBS’ “The Early Show” are being visited Monday by pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who landed a disabled jet in the Hudson River with no fatalities last month. CBS is devoting its entire show to the story of U.S. Airways Flight 1549.

“Today” producers thought it had a commitment from the Sullenberger family that the pilot would first sit down with Matt Lauer, and were angered when the pilot and his crew elected to be interviewed by Lauer’s old partner, Katie Couric, on CBS’ “60 Minutes” this Sunday. An angry “Today” show said it was no longer interested in talking to Sullenberger.

Ticketmaster told not to direct buyers

Trenton, N.J. — New Jersey’s attorney general says Ticketmaster should stop steering consumers to a reselling subsidiary offering more expensive concert tickets because it may violate state law.

Attorney General Anne Milgram said Thursday she has asked for more information about the company’s sales practices after the state received more than 1,000 complaints over sales for Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming concerts.

Fans who couldn’t buy through Ticketmaster’s Web site were directed to its subsidiary reseller, TicketsNow, which offered more expensive seats.

Milgram says the redirecting may violate the state’s consumer fraud act.

Company CEO Irving Azoff has apologized to Springsteen and his fans. He says the company would no longer direct them to the subsidiary.

Zellweger a Hasty Pudding honoree

Cambridge, Mass. — Accompanied by Harvard men in drag, Renee Zellweger has been honored as the Hasty Pudding Theatricals woman of the year.

The actress rode in the back of a silver convertible Bentley during a parade through Harvard Square on Thursday. She waved to spectators who braved frigid temperatures and signed a few autographs, all the while capturing the event on her cell phone camera.

Hasty Pudding is the nation’s oldest undergraduate drama troupe. By tradition, many of its male members wear women’s clothes for the parade.

At a roast after the parade, Zellweger helped spoof her voiceover animation work and danced in a fat suit, a nod to her roles in “Bridget Jones” and “Chicago.”

She turned the teasing back on her hosts, calling the pudding pot she received “the nicest doorstop I’ve ever had.”

Etta James ‘can’t stand’ Beyonce

Los Angeles — We saw Beyonce play Etta James. We probably won’t soon see the singing divas duet.

The 71-year-old singer says in an audio clip that surfaced online Thursday that she would “whip” Beyonce for singing “her song” “At Last” at an inaugural ball for President Barack Obama.

“The great Beyonce … I can’t stand Beyonce,” James said in the clip from a Jan. 31 concert at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam, British Columbia. “She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol’ president day, gonna be singing my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

Beyonce portrayed James — and sang the 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren — in the film “Cadillac Records” last year.

Artists to honor Neil Diamond

Los Angeles — No, it’s not a celebrity karaoke contest: Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Jennifer Hudson and Jonas Brothers are offering up their takes on Neil Diamond’s songbook to raise money for charity, honor the 68-year-old singer-songwriter and kick off Grammy weekend.

The star-studded lineup, including Grammy nominee Adele, Josh Groban and Faith Hill, will honor Diamond as MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday night.

“It’s a double-whammy,” Diamond said. “I get a chance to help raise a lot of money and a little plaque that says, ‘Hey, you’re OK.'”

Diamond stayed away from rehearsals so he would be surprised as the show unfolds.

“I love the idea of other people singing my songs. They’ll do it their own way,” Diamond said by phone from his recording studio in Los Angeles.

Judge tosses lawsuit against 50 Cent

New York — A judge has thrown out a $50 million lawsuit filed by 50 Cent’s ex-girlfriend, who said the rapper promised to take care of her for life.

Manhattan State Supreme Court Justice Carol Edmead dismissed Shaniqua Tompkins’ claims to half the rapper’s assets. The judge said 50 Cent’s financial worth is “set at no less than $50 million.”

The judge said she doubted an oral agreement for Tompkins’ lifetime support existed. “It is incredible that two then-unemployed, penniless, 21-year-olds would make such an oral contract,” she wrote.

The judge said even if it were true that the two made an oral agreement for Tompkins’ lifetime support, her breach of contract claim, “which is actually a claim for palimony,” was barred by the six-year statute of limitations.