Chris Brown pleads guilty to assault

Los Angeles — Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna and the two were ordered to stay away from each other, in a deal that keeps the singer out of prison but requires him to clean up graffiti or roadside trash.

Brown’s plea to a felony charge will subject him to substantial scrutiny by probation officials, and the judge’s order puts the kibosh on any short-term prospects for reconciliation with his pop diva girlfriend as well.

The guilty plea came before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start. The hearing had been billed for weeks as a public face-off between the pair, with Rihanna set to testify against her one-time boyfriend.

Instead, Brown averted the potentially damaging meeting by entering a plea that will subject him to probation for the next five years as well as force him to perform six months of community service.

Jon and Kate Gosselin say they’re divorcing

New York — Celebrity parents Jon and Kate Gosselin say they plan to divorce.

The co-stars of “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” who are parents of sextuplets and twins, spoke of their decision to separate during Monday’s episode of the TLC reality series. Near the end of the hour-long episode, a title card summed things up in stark terms: It said that on Monday, “legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the 10-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin.”

The network had been promising a major on-air decision from the couple, whose increasingly troubled marriage has dominated the series in recent weeks, as well as fueling a firestorm of tabloid coverage.

“We’ve been dealing a long time with this,” Kate said, speaking of her marital problems and the attendant publicity.

“It’s been a hard seven or eight months,” Jon said in one of his separate on-camera sessions. “It’s been a really hard last four months. This is the hardest episode ever.”

But the show will continue, both Gosselins agreed.

“We interview separately. We’ll film different things: me and the kids, her and the kids,” Jon said.

“How does the show go on?” said Kate. “The show must go on.”

O’Neal says he plans to marry Fawcett

New York — Ryan O’Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer.

The 68-year-old actor says in an interview with Barbara Walters for ABC’s “20/20” that he asked his longtime companion to marry him and “she’s agreed.” O’Neal says they will tie the knot “as soon as she can say yes.”

Walters’ interview with O’Neal airs Friday.

Fawcett was diagnosed in 2006 with anal cancer that has spread to her liver. The “Charlie’s Angels” star and O’Neal have a 24-year-old son, Redmond.

O’Neal says the 62-year-old actress is “fighting for her life,” but despite her declining health, they will “absolutely” get married.

Perez: I was punched by Peas’ manager

Toronto — Police have charged the tour manager of the Black Eyed Peas with assault after he allegedly punched celebrity blogger Perez Hilton outside a Toronto nightclub.

Hilton said he got into an argument with band members Fergie and will.i.am at the Cobra nightclub early Monday morning and was punched outside by Polo Molina, the band’s tour manager. They were at the club following a Sunday night video awards show.

Molina turned himself in and has been charged with assaulting Hilton, Toronto Police Constable Tony Vella said. Molina is due in court Aug. 5.

Hilton, who is openly gay, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he insulted will.i.am by using a gay slur, inside the club after the musician told the blogger not to write about his band on his Web site.

McConaughey, girlfriend expecting second child

New York — Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend, Camila Alves, are expecting another baby.

McConaughey announced the news in a posting on his Web site on Father’s Day.

The 39-year-old actor and Alves have an 11-month-old son, Levi.

Writes McConaughey in the posting: “Camila and I are expecting our second child, bringing more life into the world, making more to live for. The future looks bright as the family grows … “

Keillor to mark show’s 35th anniversary

St. Paul, Minn. — Humorist Garrison Keillor is returning to Lake Wobegon to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his popular “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show.

Keillor has added a Fourth of July broadcast of his show from Avon, the central Minnesota town that helped inspire Lake Wobegon, his fictional hometown.

Avon is on the Lake Wobegon Trail, a 46-mile hike-and-bike pathway in Stearns County, which Keillor says “is about as close to Lake Wobegon as you can get.”

“A Prairie Home Companion” debuted on July 6, 1974, at Macalester College in St. Paul. The show is now heard on nearly 600 public radio stations nationwide by more than 4.3 million people each week.