Kelly Clarkson showed her charitable side on Saturday by taking to the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana to lend a hand for a festive charity drive.

The singer teamed up with organization Loads of Hope, which provides families in need with free laundry services.

The charity was set up following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – and Clarkson was all smiles as she helped out locals, even donning a slogan t-shirt to promote the cause.

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Lily Allen is at the center of an investigation into allegations she flouted a smoking ban during a concert in Liverpool, England.

The Smile hitmaker performed at the Echo Arena on Wednesday, and a local newspaper subsequently reported she had been seen lighting up cigarettes during the show.

Local authorities are now investigating the incident and liaising with the venue to establish whether Allen’s behavior contravened the U.K.’s ban on smoking in indoor public places.

If officials rule the star did smoke onstage, she and the owners of the venue could face a fine.

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Jessica Simpson is taking things slowly with her new boyfriend Billy Corgan.

The singer-and-actress doesn’t want to rush into anything too serious with the Smashing Pumpkins frontman following her split from American football star Tony Romo.

A source said: “They are getting to know each other. He’s a nice guy.”

Meanwhile, Jessica’s twitter postings have revealed she has been building up a close relationship with Billy over the last few months.

On September 11, Jessica tweeted: “My friend, Billy Corgan, has a pure and enlightened outlook on faith.”

Jessica – who, at 29, is 13 years younger than Billy – was pictured leaving New York’s Ritz Carlton Hotel with Billy last week.

The pair were first romantically linked in November when they both attended a party in Los Angeles.

A source said: “She has completely fallen for Billy and his easygoing, smart attitude. She says she wants to take things a lot further. She had secretly been crushing on him for months and felt there was a connection at the party. As the night went on things got more intense and they talked with their faces just inches apart.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Ashley Greene is delighted she got to star in the ‘Twilight’ films – because they have opened up other roles for her.

The 22-year-old actress, who plays vampire Alice Cullen in the movies, is grateful for the opportunity because people are now interested in her talents.

She said: “Instantly, we have this fan base, instantly, we have these careers and people know who we are. People now actually care about what project I’m in.”

Although she is happy with the attention she has gained from her performances in the movie series, Ashley admits some of the films’ hardcore fans can be tough to deal with.

She added in an interview with USA Today: “I’ve been asked by people to get a lock of Rob’s hair. I’ve even had girls come up to me and ask to smell my hair. I’ve gotten proposals, and I always wonder, ‘What would people do if I said yes?’ ”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Leonardo DiCaprio is set to team up with Mel Gibson for a new movie about the Vikings.

The Titanic actor will star and Gibson will direct the upcoming epic, about the medieval Scandinavian warrior race.

The film, which is expected to begin shooting next year, comes from screenwriter William Monahan and producer Graham King, who previously teamed up on DiCaprio’s 2006 movie The Departed.

King tells Variety, “This will be an awe-inspiring story, created with some of the industry’s finest cinematic talent, and I am just over the moon to be making this film with Mel, Leo and Bill (Monahan).”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Orlando Bloom has denied he is engaged to his model girlfriend Miranda Kerr after her brother claimed he had finally popping the question during a holiday in Morocco.

Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom and Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr were said to be engaged after dating for nearly three years.

Miranda’s brother was thought to have confirmed the news, telling an Australian magazine: “He’s finally done it. Orlando has proposed. They’re getting married.”

But spokespeople for both Miranda and Orlando have once again shot down the rumours, saying there is “no truth to any rumors of engagement” and denying that Miranda’s brother Matt said anything to the magazine.

Orlando split with girlfriend Kate Bosworth in 2006 after dating for nearly four years.

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Chris Brown may not be done with his apologies.

Over the weekend, the singer, 20, had a mini-meltdown online after he visited a Walmart in Connecticut and didn’t find his new album, Graffiti, on the shelves. “But they had Alicia Keys album ready for release for this Tuesday,” he Tweet-griped. “BUT NO SIGN OF GRAFFITI. BS.”

When a visit to store management brought Brown no satisfactory explanation, he exploded on Twitter in a profanity-laced series of posts. “I’m tired of this s—-. Major stores r blackballing my CD. Not stockin the shelves and lying to costumers. What the f— do I gotta do.” To the record business, he added: “The industry can kiss my a–.”

Actually, store employees told People and other news outlets, that particular Walmart did in fact stock Graffiti – but it sold out, as one worker said to MTV News, “as soon as it hit the shelves.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin