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KAREN BLACK: he husband of cancer-stricken U.S. actress Karen Black is thanking fans for offering their support and money after hearing she needs help paying for treatment.

"Everybody, thank you so much for the donations and kind thoughts," her husband Stephen Eckelberry said in a statement on the gofundme website Monday.

So, far fans have donated nearly $40,000 to help pay for Black to undergo experimental treatment in Europe as part of a clinical study to treat her ampullary cancer.

"Karen and are touched beyond belief. It's so great to know she can make this trip. I promise to keep everybody updated. Any additional money that is raised beyond our goal will go towards my going with her. This is amazing. Thank you so much."

The star of "Nashville," "Five Easy Pieces" and "Easy Rider" was diagnosed with the disease in November 2010, her husband announced on the website earlier this month. She has had a third of her pancreas removed, then underwent extensive chemotherapy and radiation in 2011.

"After suffering through nausea, fainting and losing over 30 pounds, she was finally declared NED -- No Evidence of Disease in July," Eckelberry said in a March 14 posting.

"But by December 2011 a small tumor developed and another surgery was in order, which left her completely bed-ridden," the message added. "Her cancer seemed conquered though. By spring 2012 she was doing a lot better and could walk around and was almost normal. But in June 2012, the cancer came back -- and it started spreading -- one near her lungs and one in her lower back. We started trying different things -- through hit and miss we found some alternative treatments that seem to help, and she went to Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles and had two operations in January and February to freeze the tumor in her lower back that by then had grown to be four pounds. Even though the operation was a success, Karen was completely debilitated -- even now she can hardly move around and is mostly bed-bound."

He went on to say Black's cancer is minimized, but now weighs 96 pounds and has trouble eating.

OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEES: The stage play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" led the field with eight when Britain's Olivier Award nominations were announced Tuesday.

"Top Hat" is up for seven prizes, while "Sweeney Todd" is up for six, "The Audience" and "Kiss Me, Kate" for five and "Constellations" for four.

Nominated for Best New Play are "Constellations," "The Audience," "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" and "This House."

Up for Best Actor in a Play are Rupert Everett for "The Judas Kiss," James McAvoy for "Macbeth," Mark Rylance for "Twelfth Night," Rafe Spall for "Constellations" and Luke Treadaway for "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

Shortlisted for Best Actress in a Play are Helen Mirren for "The Audience," Hattie Morahan for "A Doll's House," Billie Piper for "The Effect" and Kristin Scott Thomas for "Old Times."

The nominees for Best New Musical are "Loserville," "Soul Sister," "The Bodyguard" and "Top Hat."

In the running for Best Revival of a Play are "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "Macbeth," "Old Times" and "Twelfth Night."

Vying for the Best Musical Revival prize are "A Chorus Line," "Cabaret," "Kiss Me, Kate" and "Sweeney Todd."

Nominated for Best Actor in a Musical are Michael Ball for "Sweeney Todd," Alex Bourne for "Kiss Me, Kate," Tom Chambers for "Top Hat" and Will Young for "Cabaret."

Mentioned for Best Actress in a Musical are Heather Headley for "The Bodyguard," Imelda Staunton for "Sweeney Todd," Summer Strallen for "Top Hat" and Hannah Waddingham for "Kiss Me, Kate."

Winners are to be announced April 28 at the Royal Opera House in London. Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith are to serve as co-hosts of the ceremony.

HARMONY KORINE: David Letterman says he banned Harmony Korine from the "Late Show" in New York because he once caught the filmmaker pawing through Meryl Streep's purse.

Letterman told the story Monday when prompted by "Late Show" guest James Franco, the star of Korine's latest film, "Spring Breakers."

Franco said he heard Korine was banned from the show after he pushed Streep backstage more than a decade ago.

"He said he was a little out of it," Franco said of Korine, whose other film credits include "Kids" and "Gummo,"

"Harmony is a very sane guy now -- a great artist and great person to work with. But I think he had a period where he was going a little off the rails, so maybe he was on something that night," Franco said.

"I went upstairs to greet Meryl Streep and welcome her to the show, and I knock on the door ... and she was not in there," Letterman said of the last time Korine visited the "Late Show" studio in the late 1990s. "And I looked around, and she was not in there, and I found Harmony going through her purse. True story. And so I said: 'That's it. Put her things back in her bag and then get out.'"

"So, you kicked him off?" Franco asked Letterman, to which the talk-show host nodded emphatically as the studio audience applauded.

Apparently convinced by Franco's assertion that Korine is now a changed man, Letterman said he would be "more than happy" to have him back as a guest.

DOROTHY HAMILL: Former Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill withdrew from Season 16 of "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles Tuesday night because of medical reasons.

Hamill, 56, made the announcement at the end of the episode just before the season's first celebrity was to be eliminated from the competition.

"I've taken the advice of my spine surgeon and I need to withdraw from the competition. I have an injury that could be irreparable and nerve damage and it would be completely unfair for me to stay in this and have any of these people go home. I can't do what I need to," Hamill said, her voice shaking, as her professional dance partner Tristan MacManus stood by her side. "I wish I could give it my all, but I can't."

Still in the running for the coveted mirror ball trophy, along with their professional dance partners, are singers Kellie Pickler and Wynonna Judd, comedians Andy Dick and D.L. Hughley, boxer Victor Ortiz, soap star Ingo Rademacher, Disney Channel star Zendaya Coleman, reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and NFL star Jacoby Jones.

Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet are the co-hosts of the show.