John Mayer: Jessica Simpson's New Love?  —  It's the hot headline making waves, as Us Weekly magazine reports that Jessica Simpson and John Mayer have been privately dating.  —  The upcoming issue, due out Friday, claims the pair first met at a pre-Grammy bash last year.  But things only recently heated up.

Brit's Kev to play sponger  —  KEVIN Federline is to appear on TV — as the deadbeat husband of a celebrity.  —  Britney Spears' hubby will be seen in three episodes of ITV4's Entourage.  —  The HBO series focuses on a hot young Hollywood actor and his freeloading mates.

Madonna and Guy row over schooling  —  For most mothers the start of the new school year is a welcome relief from the hurly-burly of the school holidays.  —  But Madonna has enjoyed seeing her children so much that she wants them to stay on her Confessions world tour with her.

John Travolta's Kiss  —  Mmm.  Someone's going to have to take the Scientology homo-detox course again.  —  (Image source)

Mariah Carey's Sultan of bling  —  Mariah Carey has been given £3 million of diamonds by the Sultan of Brunei's son.  —  The singer received a eight-carat, flawless diamond necklace and matching ring from Prince Azim just as she was about to go on stage in New York last Wednesday (23.08.06).

BRIT HINTS AT BABY'S SEX  —  For those of you wondering what to buy Britney Spears' unborn baby... never fear.  —  You'll find a modest gift list at a baby boutique in LA.  —  OK, modest it isn't.  —  The Toxic singer has registered for thousands of dollars worth of presents at posh baby shop Petit Tresor.

Gwen & Kingston  —  Gwen Attending VMAs?  —  Gwen Stefani's publicist Dave Tomberlin confirmed that Gwen is not snubbing the VMAs and plans to bypass this year's ceremony because she's "too busy with Fashion Week to attend."  Please!  Sounds like a publicity stunt to me.  You make time to attend the VMAs.

Baby talk: Are Kidman photos being doctored?  —  Plus: Looks like Hilary Swank has found a new love  —  Are photo agencies manipulating Nicole Kidman's pictures to make her look pregnant?  —  That's the suggestion being made by the "Stepford Wives" star's rep - after a mag paid $20,000 …

NANCY VS. MARIA ACCESS CATFIGHT  —  The claws are out on the set of Access Hollywood, where an inside source says perky host Nancy O'Dell and sexy correspondent Maria Menounos are each going for the jugular.  —  "It's a real catfight," the source titters.  "They refuse to work together and hate being in the same room with each other.

"Show Me Where Mariotti Touched You, Alex"  —  We can't quite put our finger on why a picture of Ozzie Guillen talking to Alex Rodriguez while A-Rod violently adjusts his crotch region is funny .... but it nevertheless is.  —  Photo from Warren Wimmer of the Chicago Sports Review.

Haley Joel Mugs for Cop Cam  —  Haley Joel Osment's photo op at a cop shop earlier this month proves one thing — celebs have figured out how to take a good mugshot.  —  Osment was arrested on August 18, a month after he crashed his 1995 Saturn into a brick pillar in Los Angeles.

Jessica Simpson's Jackass Reunion  —  Despite an injured vocal cord, Jessica Simpson hit the town Tuesday in New York City - and ended the night getting an apology from an old friend.  —  Jackass star Bam Margera, whose ex-girlfriend told a Philadelphia radio station last year that he'd hooked …

Gibson Nailed in "Hebrew Hammer" Sequel  —  Mel Gibson gets blown away outside Moonshadows restaurant in Malibu, and it's coming soon to a theater near you.  —  TMZ has obtained the opening sequence of the script for the sequel to "The Hebrew Hammer," a 2003 Jewish blaxploitation comedy starring Adam Goldberg.

Rosario Dawson Double Feature  —  Rosario Dawson is my type of girl!  No, not just because she's hot and has an incredibly long tongue which is close to licking a thong (all good reasons); I like Rosario because she's smart.  You see, she chose to be in BOTH parts of Grind House.

Rosie to Watch Her Mouth on The View  —  As Rosie O'Donnell's first day on The View nears - she and a new set, complete with proscenium arch, will debut Sept. 5 - ABC's standards and practices department has met with the erstwhile Queen of Nice to remind her to watch her language on the air.

Rod makes Penny's dream come true with £3m gift  —  With seven children by five women, Rod Stewart is rarely regarded as the last of the great romantics.  —  But time has clearly softened the husky-voiced crooner.  —  Because, at the age of 61, the husky-voiced star …

Katie Couric 'Loses' 20 Lbs.  - Digitally  —  Vanity, thy name is not Katie Couric.  —  The incoming CBS Evening News anchor is taking in good stride articles in both the New York Post and the city's Daily News that show a photo of her in CBS promotional magazine Watch! …