Fame

Brad Pitt won’t be joining the cast of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes after all.

London’s Daily Mirror reported that he is set to arrive in London this week to begin filming scenes as Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty. He is expected to shoot all over the city, including the Royal Victoria Dock, Pontoon Docks, Pinewood and Chatham Docks in Kent, the paper claimed.

Ritchie – who last worked with Pitt in 2000’s Snatch – decided to add Pitt to the cast, which includes Robert Downey Jr as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson – after seeing the first edit, according to the report.

But a studio rep tells Us: “The report in today’s London Mirror is completely inaccurate. Brad Pitt is not joining the cast of Sherlock Holmes and we’re extremely pleased with the production of the film. As planned, it will be released on Christmas Day, 2009. In order to complete the movie, we’ve scheduled a few days on set to shoot a couple of additional scenes, obtain pick-up shots, and perfect some of the visual effects elements, all of which is standard filmmaking practice.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Remember that $76 million-plus divorce deal Madonna’s rep told us about on Monday? Well, the Material Girl and Guy Ritchie want you to pretend it never happened.

The former fun couple have issued a joint statement attempting to play down the exorbitant figures, announced via email by her longtime publicist Liz Rosenberg to E! News and other media outlets Monday. Per Rosenberg, Madonna had agreed to pay Ritchie somewhere between $76 million and $92 million to make their marriage go away.

While the exes say they are satisfied with the arrangement, which puts an end to any bickering over money, they labeled the initial quote “inaccurate.”

“We have tried to maintain a dignified silence regarding the details of our divorce for the last few months whilst accepting the obvious media interest,” their statement reads. “A misleading and inaccurate statement, specifically in relation to the sums of money involved, was wrongly issued…this week.

“The financial details of the settlement will remain private, save to say that both of us are happy with our agreement. Our primary concern, like any co-parents, is the care and well-being of our children.”

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Madonna has settled with ex-husband Guy Ritchie for at least $75 million in cash and assets, according to her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg.

The divorce payout is considered by some to be a record for a man from his ex-wife.

According to a report from the U.K’s Daily Mail, the $75 million payout includes the couple’s country estate Ashcombe House in Wiltshire, as well as a cash lump sum thought to be at much as $53 million.

Rosenberg adds that while the financial component of the settlement has been worked out, custodial arrangements for the couple’s children — Rocco, 8, and David, 3 — have yet to be finalized.

Madonna’s daughter from a previous marriage Lourdes, will stay with her mother.

A representative for Ritchie, 40, declined to comment.

The couple, who were married for eight years, finalized their divorce last month. The two publicly announced their split in October amid rumors linking Madonna to New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has publicly denied any romantic link to the star, classifying their relationship as nothing more than a mere friendship.

Madonna, 50, boasts an estimated worth of over $450 million. Ritchie, a successful film director whose credits include “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch,” is worth about one-tenth of that.

Several British papers reported a similar divorce deal nearly two months ago, but Rosenberg declined to comment at the time.

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In her first interview since her divorce, Madonna admits her split from Guy Ritchie has been tough.

“I’m sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life,” she told The Associated Press on Sunday.

As she continues on her Sticky & Sweet tour, she said her heavy workload “provides a distraction that keeps me going.”

She added, “It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do.”

Ritchie is also staying busy, as he films Sherlock Holmes in London.

On Friday, in a one-minute London court proceeding, the two were granted a preliminary “quickie divorce.” Their split will be finalized in six weeks and a day.

According to a court document, Madonna, who acted as the petitioner, said in a sworn statement that she is divorcing Ritchie for his “unreasonable behavior.”

The two ended the split amicably: British press reported that Rocco, 8, and David, 3, will split time between the U.S. and London, while Lourdes, whose father is Carlos Leon, will live with her mother.

Madonna will also keep the bulk of her estimated $500 million fortune.

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Official proceedings in the Madonna-Guy Ritchie divorce will begin Friday in in London, The Associated Press reports.

London’s High Court lists “Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S” as one of 16 cases for “matrimonial and civil partnership causes for pronouncement of decree.” The two — who announced they were calling it quits Oct. 15 after 7 1/2 years of marriage — most likely will not be in court.

After a judge grants the couple a preliminary divorce decree tomorrow, their split should be finalized in about six weeks.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Evening Standard reports that the two have reached a settlement and that Ritchie will not accept any of Madonna’s money.

But Ritchie has insisted on sharing custody of the couple’s two children, Rocco, 8, and adopted son David, 3.

An announcement about the couple’s divorce is expected to be made at the end of the month, the newspaper said.

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The star’s biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, said that the couple were “no closer” to reaching any agreement.  He said the main stumbling block is where the couple’s children will live and be educated.

The breakdown in the marriage of 50-year-old Madonna and her film director husband was first made public two weeks ago.

The pair are in dispute over where their children children Rocco, seven, and adopted David Banda, three, will be based.  Madonna wants them to live with her and her daughter Lourdes, 12, in New York, while Ritchie wants them educated in England.  Mr Taraborrelli told Hello! magazine the pair “are at loggerheads”.

He said: “There was a great deal of haggling about this matter last week, with Madonna upping the amount of Guy’s settlement to more than £20million in hope that he would acquiesce.” He said : “They are not even speaking to each other. They communicate only through lawyers”.

Mr Taraborrelli also said a friend of Ritchie told him that the break-up could become more acrimonious
The source told him: “I do think it’s going to get nasty. He and Madonna are very angry now, no doubt about it but they are willing to put that aside for their children.

“But I do think that if one sees the other linked up with a new partner so soon, it will make everything a lot more complicated for everyone involved.”

It was claimed that the couple’s lawyers are seeking witness statements from business and house staff.

The singer has hired Fiona Shackleton, who represented Sir Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills.

Ritchie is using the services of Helen Ward, who secured Britain’s highest divorce settlement of £48million for Beverley Charman from Sevenoaks, Kent when she was divorced from her husband, the insurance tycoon John Charman.

Mr Taraborrelli also said the pair now have very few friends in common.

A source told him: “Madonna was never very fond of Guy’s pals. She found them uninteresting and dull.”

Mr Taraborrelli added that Madonna had shrugged off remarks made by her father-in-law John Ritchie last week.

He is said to have branded the singer “beastly”.

“He never liked me,” she is reported to have said, “but… whatever.”

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