People in the news

The latest news on today's hottest celebrities ...

ELISABETH SLADEN: British actress Elisabeth Sladen has died after a battle with cancer, her family said. She was 63.

The Daily Mirror confirmed Sladen's death, but did not say where she died, what kind of cancer she suffered or how long she fought the disease.

The Liverpool native is best known for her work on the iconic TV series "Doctor Who" and its spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures."

She also appeared in "Z-Cars" and "Coronation Street."

"Lis was funny and cheeky and clever and wonderful," the Mirror quoted "Doctor Who" creator Russell T. Davies as saying. "The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis."

Sladen is survived by her husband, actor Brian Miller, and daughter, actress Sadie Miller, the newspaper said.

CHARLIE SHEEN: A Los Angeles judge has upheld a custody agreement actor Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller made last month regarding their twin toddler sons.

Sheen asked for sole custody of the boys Tuesday after Mueller, his soon-to-be ex-wife, entered rehab following an alleged drug binge last week, TMZ said.

However, the judge overseeing the case said the joint custody pact Sheen and Mueller signed March 10 shall remain in place, the entertainment news Web site said.

Mueller and Sheen were married in 2008 and filed for divorce in November. Their marriage will be officially ended next month.

Sheen was fired from TV's "Two and a Half Men" in March because of his erratic behavior and substance abuse.

GARY BUSEY: Gary Busey's publicist says the actor's 1-year-old son has been hospitalized in Los Angeles for treatment of an undisclosed childhood illness.

The representative for the former star of "The Celebrity Apprentice" told E! News Luke Busey "is expected to be going home by the end of the week."

"Gary is very grateful to his fans for their love and support. Gary and Steffanie thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes for Luke," the publicist added.

Luke is Busey's only child with his fiancee, Steffanie Sampson. He has two adult children from previous relationships, E! News noted.

PETRA NEMCOVA: Supermodel Petra Nemcova and her professional dance partner Dmitry Chaplin were eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles.

"Petra's been fantastic," UsMagazine.com quoted judge Len Goodman as saying Tuesday. "Two weeks ago, she was [on] top of the leader-board. It's madness!"

"It's been a life changing journey for me," Nemcova said upon learning her fate. "So many people got inspired because of 'Dancing with the Stars' that I started to do dance-a-thons at schools to fundraise for [my Happy Hearts Fund charity] and change the lives of so many children around the world."