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People in the news

By United Press International

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

HOPE SOLO: World Cup champ Hope Solo and her professional dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy were eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles Tuesday night.

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"This competition is one of the toughest competitions I've ever been a part of," Solo said upon learning her fate. "I'm grateful. This was an amazing opportunity."

Heading into next week's finals are reality TV personality Robert Kardashian and Cheryl Burke, actress and talk-show host Ricki Lake and Derek Hough, and Iraq War veteran and actor J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff.


HEAVY D: An autopsy has been conducted on the remains of rapper Heavy D in Los Angeles, however, the cause of his death had yet to be determined, officials said.

The Jamaican-born hip-hop artist and producer died last week. He was 44.

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The Los Angeles Times said the autopsy proved inconclusive and officials are waiting for the results of toxicology tests to come in before they determine the cause of his death. It could take several weeks for the test results to be completed and analyzed, the newspaper said.

Billboard.com quoted a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner's office as saying there were no illegal drugs found in Heavy D's Beverly Hills, Calif., home after his death.

He had been prescribed a drug for a cough that could have been pneumonia, the music Web site said.

TMZ said the star was 344 pounds at the time of his death.


SLY STONE: Musician Sly Stone pleaded no contest in a Los Angeles court Tuesday to possession of cocaine, officials said.

Stone, 68, was arrested April 1 after he allegedly was caught by police carrying freebase cocaine.

As part of his plea deal, Stone must complete 90 days of in-patient rehab, TMZ said, adding the funk icon has already completed 30 days of treatment.

If Stone meets the requirements of the deal, the judge will dismiss the case and he will not be placed on probation, the celebrity news Web site said.

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"We are very pleased with the outcome of this case," Stone's lawyers James E. Silverstein and Peter Knecht said in a joint statement issued to TMZ.

Stone said in September he has been living out of a van in Los Angeles. The front man for Sly and the Family Stone in the 1960s and '70s has in recent years been known more for his substance abuse and legal woes than for his music.

He filed a lawsuit last year claiming his former manager stiffed him out of royalty payments for more than 20 years, leaving him penniless and residing in his vehicle.


CHELSEA HANDLER: E! Entertainment says it has renewed its U.S. late-night chat show "Chelsea Lately" through 2014.

As part of the agreement, star Chelsea Handler will also develop and produce shows for E! and NBCUniversal via her production company, Borderline Amazing Productions, in addition to "After Lately," which returns for its second season Nov. 27.

"Chelsea Lately" debuted in July 2007.

"Chelsea is an extraordinary talent whose smart, clever, no-holds-barred point of view has clearly been embraced by viewers," Suzanne Kolb, president of E!, said in a statement Tuesday. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Chelsea as we build on the success of 'Chelsea Lately,' which has become the late-night destination for young adults, and collaborate with Borderline Amazing Productions on developing even more hit shows."

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"It's a great time for women in comedy, and it's a great time to have real breasts," added Handler.

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