alcohol

The family of Chris Farley has given approval for his image to be used on outdoor advertisements for alcohol and drug treament from Hythiam Inc. The ads will feature a photo of Farley and the text, "It Wasn't His Fault." Chris Farley died eight years ago from an overdose of morphine and cocaine, at the age of 33.

The first billboard will appear on Monday near the Chateau Marmont, the hotel on Sunset Boulevard where fellow SNL alum John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982. Several other billboards will appear in the Los Angeles area. Executives for Hythiam Inc. say they are in negotiations with the estates of other dead celebrities to use their images for the same campaign.

After Oprah tore James Frey apart on her show last week, I was left to wonder what would be next for the author.

I should've known.

A Manhattan social worker was the first to file a lawsuit against Random House, the publisher of Frey's fictitious memoir about overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. The plaintiff, Jennifer Cohn, said she recommended Frey's book to a number of clients who were struggling with the same addiction. Another New York reader filed a class action lawsuit, asking for her $14.95 back. There are also lawsuits in state and federal courts in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

So...what's worse? Ripping apart the author on nationwide television or suing an author because his memoir is packed with lies?

I bet even Jack Osbourne never thought he'd get to date supermodel Kate Moss someday. But now he's hot and she's clean, so apparently they make a good match. The unlikely couple were reportedly doing some dirty dancing at a party after the Golden Globes awards in Los Angeles earlier this week. Tabloids have them on a bunch of other dates, too.

Kate Moss has just been through a heck of a time. She was caught by British tabloids doing cocaine, lost half her modeling contracts, dumped her druggie boyfriend, and ran off to rehab in the United States. Maybe that's where she and Jack have a connection. He also did a stint in rehab for a drug and alcohol addiction. Jack, by the way, is 20 years old. Kate is 32.

Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Ana Lucia on Lost, entered a 'not guilty' plea to DUI in court yesterday. Actually, her lawyer entered the plea for her as she did not make a personal appearance. That means, in true Ana Lucia style, she'll be going on trial on March 30th in Hawaii to fight charges that she was driving drunk on November 24th. As we've been reporting, Rodriguez has a long list of speeding charges in Hawaii and she is currently on probation in California for drunk driving and hit-and-run. If a judge decides that Rodriguez was in violation of her probation by driving while drunk in Hawaii, she could go to prison in California for up to 18 months. If not, she could at least spend 14 days in a Hawaiian jail, a $1,500 fine, and loss of her license for a year (shouldn't that happen anyway?).

As for Cynthia Watros, who plays Libby on Lost (and the one who looked the most tanked), her lawyer asked for a new arraignment date for Jan. 12 so she can change her plea to guilty. Her lawyer said, "Cynthia realizes she made a mistake."