People in the news

Report: Harry’s ex reveals split on Web

London — Britain’s News of the World tabloid says Chelsy Davy announced the end of her relationship with Prince Harry by changing her status on Facebook to: “Relationship: Not in One.”

The couple met in 2004, and their reported breakup marks the end of a five-year relationship.

According to the News of the World, the relationship became strained because the pair spent long periods apart.

Davy is studying law at Leeds University in northern England while Prince Harry is training to become a helicopter pilot.

There was no way to verify the report. Royal officials have refused comment, and a Facebook page for Davy could not immediately be located.

Paramedic charged in Travolta extortion plot

Nassau, Bahamas — A Bahamas paramedic was charged Monday in an alleged scheme to extort $25 million from John Travolta after his chronically ill son died of a seizure at the family’s vacation home.

Tarino Lightbourne, 47, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to extort and conspiracy to extort from the movie star.

Details of the alleged plot remain fuzzy, but prosecutor Bernard Turner said investigators are looking for a “certain document” and police say it involved $25 million. Magistrate Carolita Bethel remanded the suspect to jail after Turner objected to bail.

Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Marvin Dames said the actor’s lawyers filed a complaint of attempted extortion after Pleasant Bridgewater, an attorney and then-senator, allegedly informed them that Lightbourne claimed he “was in possession of a document that, if released, would prove damaging to the Travoltas.”

Lightbourne was detained after police issued an alert that he was wanted for attempted extortion and was considered dangerous.

Earlier, several tabloids had quoted Lightbourne describing efforts to revive 16-year-old Jett Travolta after he collapsed Jan. 2 on Grand Bahama.

Bridgewater was arrested on Thursday and charged with abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort, and was released on $40,000 bail.

She has vowed to prove her innocence but resigned Saturday from her seat in the legislature.

Roddenberry, wife to spend eternity in space

Los Angeles — The creator of “Star Trek” and his wife will spend eternity together in space.

Celestis Inc., a company that specializes in “memorial spaceflights,” said Monday that it will ship the remains of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry into space next year.

The couple’s cremated remains will be sealed into specially made capsules designed to withstand the rigors of space travel. A rocket-launched spacecraft will carry the capsules, along with digitized tributes from fans. The Roddenberrys’ remains — and the spacecraft — will travel ever deeper into space and will not return to Earth, company spokeswoman Susan Schonfeld said.

After Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, his wife commissioned Celestis to launch a part of his remains into space in 1997. She died Dec. 18, 2008.

‘Thriller’ planned for Broadway stage

New York — “Thriller” a Broadway musical?

Producer James L. Nederlander says he has acquired the rights for a stage version of Michael Jackson’s iconic music-video spoof of horror films. The show will include songs from two of the pop king’s best-selling albums, “Thriller” and “Off the Wall.”

“The Nederlanders and Michael Jackson represent live theater and musical excellence, so let the music begin,” Tohme Tohme, a spokesman for Jackson, said Monday in a statement.

No word yet on who will write the book for the show or what songs will be included in the production, or who will direct and choreograph.

The former Cat Stevens performs song for Gaza

Jerusalem — The musician formerly known as Cat Stevens released a charity song on Monday to help the children of Gaza.

The United Nations said the London-born Yusuf Islam recorded a rendition of the George Harrison song “The Day the World Gets Round,” along with the German bassist and former Beatles collaborator Klaus Voorman.

All proceeds from the song will be donated to the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and to the nonprofit group Save the Children to be directed to aiding Gaza residents.

Gaza officials say 280 of the 1,285 Palestinians killed in the three-week Israeli offensive were children. Children make up 56 percent of Gaza’s 1.4 million people. The offensive aimed at stopping rocket fire by Gaza’s Hamas rulers into southern Israel.

Contractors file liens against Perry’s home

Atlanta — Six construction companies have filed liens against actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry’s home and movie studio, claiming they are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

Fulton County court documents show the companies claim they are owed nearly $200,000 for work on Perry’s 30,000-square-foot home and production studio in Atlanta.

Perry told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he withheld payment from the companies for undocumented charges or sloppy work. He told the newspaper he is being treated unfairly because he is a celebrity.

“There’s a Tyler Perry tax put on things,” he said.