People talk 06/13/03

Former pop star Adam Ant arrested in London

LONDON -- Former pop star Adam Ant was arrested after allegedly throwing stones near his home in north London, then removing some of his clothes at a nearby cafe, police said Thursday.

The arrest on suspicion of criminal damage occurred Wednesday, and one national newspaper, The Sun, carried a photograph showing two policemen leading Ant away with a blanket wrapped around his waist.

The 49-year-old singer, whose hits include "Strip" and "Desperate But Not Serious," was released on bail until mid-July after police questioned him about allegedly throwing stones that broke several windows near his home, then heading to the Curly Dog cafe and taking off his pants.

Police soon arrived at the scene and took him away.

Newest reality bachelor fired from law firmDALLAS -- Rob Campos, the bachelor on the NBC reality dating show "For Love or Money," said he plans to continue practicing law, even though the firm he worked for has severed ties with him.

Mathur Law Offices ended its association with Campos following the revelation on The Smoking Gun Web site that the 33-year-old drunkenly groped the breasts of a female officer while stationed at the Naval Justice School in Newport, R.I., in 1999.

Campos was expelled from his training program and ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment.

In a statement released Wednesday through NBC, Campos said: "I was never an employee of the Mathur law firm; I worked with them as an independent contractor. I rented space at their office in Dallas and did not receive a salary. I also maintained my own set of clients. Although I will no longer be associated with that firm, I do plan to continue in the private practice of law."

On "For Love or Money," Campos must choose a potential mate from 15 women. At the end, the woman will be asked to choose between him and a $1 million prize.

Jewel happy with almost-No. 1 record

NEW YORK -- Jewel was on track to have the first No. 1 album debut in her career -- until Metallica decided to release their album early to blunt the effect of bootleggers.

As a result, Jewel's new disc, "0304," debuted at No. 2, with 144,000 copies sold.

Metallica's "St. Anger" was No. 1, with 418,000 copies sold, according to figures. The album originally was due to be released this week, but instead went on sale last Thursday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Jewel was nonchalant about her almost-No. 1. "It's all out of my control," she said.

She added that it's still the highest-debuting record she's ever had: "It's really unusual that you'll have a higher-debuting record than any other record in your career. Usually, 10 years into your career, it's going down."

Elderly woman sues O'Donnell's producers

NEW YORK -- A 71-year-old Westchester County woman has sued the producers of Rosie O'Donnell's defunct talk show for $3 million, saying she was injured when she was hit in the mouth with a hard rubber ball.

Lucille DeBellis, of Hartsdale, N.Y., said she was at a taping of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in New York on Nov. 29, 2001, when a show staffer used a slingshot-type device to fire the ball into the audience during the warm-up.

DeBellis says in papers filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court that the ball struck her "squarely in the mouth, causing her to suffer pain and swelling, as well as bleeding in her gums."

Her attorney, William J. Dealy, said Wednesday that by the time his client arrived home, she had swelling and lumps in her mouth. He said a doctor gave her steroids, antibiotics and cortisone injections.

DeBellis' lawsuit names the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television, its affiliated companies AOL Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc., and two unknown individuals as defendants. O'Donnell is not a defendant.

A Warner spokeswoman, Kate Chilton, didn't return a phone call for comment.

DeBellis' physical discomfort and embarrassment about her appearance caused her to spend the 2001 Christmas season in her home, court papers say.

"Furthermore, the pain and soreness around plaintiff's mouth adversely affected plaintiff's relationship with her boyfriend," court papers say.

-- From wire reports