People talk 5/12 8B

Usher stays in shape despite sweet tooth

NEW YORK -- Usher has a sculpted physique, but he didn't get it from weightlifting.

"I do cardio but I don't touch weights. It's not good for your body," the 23-year-old R&B crooner told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

"It's better to lift your own weight; it makes you stronger and gives you that long endurance. That's why you see boxers punching the bag, you see them doing jump-rope," he said. "It makes you stronger, and gives you a better cut."

Usher's latest album, "8701," has sold more than 3.5 million copies. The singer is currently touring the country. Even though he admits he has a sweet tooth -- he recently did a commercial for Twix candy bars -- he says he's careful about what he eats.

"I balance my body more through what I eat and what I drink," he said. "And when I'm on the road, because I have such a high metabolism, I sweat a lot so I stay slim."

Stewart, Smith to highlight Kmart ads

TROY, Mich. -- Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith will be featured in the latest round of Kmart Corp. commercials directed by filmmaker Spike Lee as part of the retailer's "Stuff of Life" campaign.

Kmart announced the commercials, which will highlight the Martha Stewart Everyday and Jaclyn Smith brands, on Friday. The 15- and 30-second ads will start running on Sunday.

Kmart starting airing TV ads directed by Lee in February. It hopes the commercials will help establish an emotional bond with its customers as the company struggles to find a niche in the discount retailing market.

The tag line for the campaign is "Kmart. The Stuff of Life."

Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 22 following disappointing holiday sales and competition from rivals Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. Retail experts have said Kmart needs to show consumers what makes it stand out from other discounters.

Lee directed seven commercials for Kmart as part of the campaign. Ads highlighting the retailer's Disney clothing line have been airing for a couple months.

Brown, defendant both appeal lawsuit verdict

LOS ANGELES -- James Brown and the woman awarded $40,000 in a wrongful termination lawsuit have both appealed the verdict, their attorneys said.

Lisa Agbalaya claimed Brown fired her as West Coast president of New James Brown Enterprises because she rejected his sexual advances. She sued the 69-year-old "Godfather of Soul" for $1 million for sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful firing and infliction of emotional distress.

A jury awarded Agbalaya about a year's salary for wrongful termination but rejected the other charges.

Her attorney, Shelly McMillan, said Wednesday there were problems with the handling of evidence and that jury instructions given before the February verdict created "confusions and problems." She asked the 2nd District Court of Appeal to review the case.

Brown's lawyer, Debra Opri, took issue with the language of the verdict, which found her client liable for "wrongful termination." She said the cause listed in the lawsuit was "wrongful termination in violation of public policy."

Agbalaya claimed Brown grabbed her by the hips and pulled her toward him when she visited his Georgia home in 1999. She said she lost her job of seven years for rebuffing his advances.

Brown testified that Agbalaya was laid off after he closed his West Coast office because it wasn't making money. He said he never made any unwanted sexual overtures to her.

New 'Star Wars' film will have digital debut

PARIS -- When the newest "Star Wars" installment opens next week at U.S. multiplexes, George Lucas will be at the Cannes Film Festival to show off his movie and its digital effects.

"Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" will be screened out of competition at Cannes next Thursday, the same day it is released in the United States, organizers said. The movie opens in France a day later.

The Cannes Film Festival opens Wednesday and runs to May 26.

The "Star Wars" creator and his producer, Rick McCallum, will talk to reporters about digital cinema and its potential. The movie was shot entirely on Sony digital cameras and will be shown in Cannes using digital projectors rather than the standard 35 mm format.

The latest chapter of Lucas' epic brings back Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala. Newcomer Hayden Christensen is Anakin Skywalker -- the future Darth Vader.

-- From wire reports