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People in the news

By United Press International
Actor Fred Willard attends the 8th annual TV Land Awards at Sony Studios in Culver City, California on April 17, 2010. UPI/Jim Ruymen
Actor Fred Willard attends the 8th annual TV Land Awards at Sony Studios in Culver City, California on April 17, 2010. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo

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

FRED WILLARD: U.S. actor Fred Willard has finished a diversion program for minor offenses and will not be tried for lewd conduct relating to a July arrest, prosecutors said.

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City attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said Monday Willard, 79, completed the program designed to divert minor offenders from the criminal justice system, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles Police Department undercover vice officers on a routine walk-through in July arrested Willard at the Tiki Theater after finding him watching a pornographic movie with his penis exposed and in his hand.

He was cited for lewd conduct and released from police custody the same night.

Willard is best known for his work on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" and in writer-director Christopher Guest's mockumentaries "This is Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman," "For Your Consideration," "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind." He is now host of the improv-comedy series "Trust Us with Your Life."

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PBS fired him from its show "Market Warriors" after the arrest.


KIM KARDASHIAN: The first child of U.S. reality TV star Kim Kardashian and hip-hop artist Kanye West will not be featured on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," TMZ reported.

The couple, who have been dating for less than a year, want to "ensure real privacy" for their baby and will keep him or her off of the Kardashian family's reality show and its various spinoffs, the celebrity news website said.

Although no birth special is planned, Kardashian will share her remaining six months or so of pregnancy with TV viewers, TMZ said.

West announced at a New Jersey concert during the weekend that Kardashian is pregnant with their first child. Her famous family later confirmed she is about 12 weeks pregnant.


LIVE NATION: America's Live Nation Entertainment has announced the immediate resignation of its Chairman Irving Azoff.

In conjunction with this change, Liberty Media Corp. has purchased 1.7 million shares of Live Nation stock from Azoff, increasing its stake to 26.4 percent.

"After successfully overseeing the integration of Live Nation and Ticketmaster over the past two years, my job here is done. We put together the leading company across concert promotion, ticketing, sponsorship and artist management and delivered the great results promised by the merger," Azoff said in a statement Monday. "I especially enjoyed my time with my partner Michael Rapino, and he has demonstrated the ability to lead this company from now on. I'm looking forward to returning to the entrepreneurial world and continuing to work with all my friends and colleagues at Live Nation."

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"Irving has been a valuable partner and friend for the past few years," said Rapino, president and chief executive officer of Live Nation Entertainment. "We will certainly miss him and we thank him for his many contributions in building Live Nation to the global company it is today, entertaining 50 million fans and selling 200 million tickets in more than 40 countries around the world. I look forward to continuing to work with Irving on his artists' tours for years to come."

"I want to thank Irving for his leadership since the merger. While he has played a key role in setting Live Nation on a path for success, we understand his entrepreneurial desires," said Greg Maffei, lead external director for Live Nation Entertainment's board of directors and president and chief executive officer of Liberty Media. "Live Nation is now well-positioned and we have tremendous confidence in Michael Rapino and his leadership team. "

The company said it does not expect Azoff's departure and associated restructurings to have any material impact on its ongoing operating results.


OSCARS: Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it has extended the deadline for members to vote for Oscar nominations by one day.

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Ballots will now be due Friday. They originally were due back Thursday.

Members may vote online or submit paper ballots. Any votes received after the deadline will not be counted.

"By extending the voting deadline we are providing every opportunity available to make the transition to online balloting as smooth as possible," Ric Robertson, the academy's chief operating officer, said in a statement Monday.

"We're grateful to our global membership for joining us in this process."

This is the first year the academy is providing its membership the opportunity to vote online.

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 10. Winners will be presented with their awards Feb. 24.

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