The Access Entertainment Week In Review

Your Handy Guide to the Big Stories of the Week!

‘HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2’ SWEEPS THE NATION: “High School Musical 2” broke basic cable records with 17.2 million viewers tuning in for its Disney Channel debut. The fans also came out in droves to purchase the movie’s soundtrack, which debuted at # 1 on the Billboard chart with over 615,000 copies sold.

As for the planned big screen installment of the franchise, Access Hollywood investigated reports that “HSM” stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were holding out for more money before committing to the project. Reps for both Zac and Vanessa said that they are still in talks to do the third movie, and Disney stated that they are still in “active negotiations” with the cast.

Speaking of Zac — Access uncovered some revealing yearbook photos of the handsome superstar in his formative years!

LINDSAY SENTENCED: Lindsay Lohan reached a plea deal on Thursday and will spend one day behind bars, plus 10 days of community service and must complete a drug treatment program. As part of the plea deal, Lohan’s lawyer Blair Berk pleaded guilty on Lohan’s behalf to two counts of being under the influence of cocaine; no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above .08 percent and one count of reckless driving.

Lohan was charged earlier in the day with seven misdemeanors stemming from two drunken-driving arrests in the last three months. More serious felony drug charges were not filed, prosecutors said, because tests showed there wasn’t enough cocaine on her to warrant them.

In a statement to Access Hollywood on Lindsay’s behalf, she admitted that her life had become “completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs,” and that she wanted to be “healthy and gain control of my life and career and have asked for medical help in doing so.”

PARIS SETTLES…AND SHOPS: Paris Hilton settled her defamation lawsuit with fellow socialite Zeta Graff this week. Graff had filed a $10 million suit against Paris in 2005, claiming Paris fed a slanderous story to the New York Post about Graff attacking her at a club and ripping a necklace off her neck in what was supposedly a jealous rage over Hilton’s fiancée at the time, Paris Latsis.

The attorneys for Paris and Zeta released the following joint statement to Access Hollywood:

“Zeta Graff and Paris Hilton are pleased to announce the amicable resolution of the lawsuit between them. Both parties are glad that the matter could be resolved without the time and expense of a trial. The resolution is confidential and no one will comment further.”

In other Paris news, the heiress dropped into celebrity shopping hot spot Intuition for some very special merchandise on Wednesday. She spent around 10 thousand dollars buying up baby clothes and accessories for her friend Nicole Richie, who is four months pregnant.

NICOLE SERVES (SOME) TIME: Nicole Richie checked herself in to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood Thursday afternoon to serve her jail sentence, stemming from her DUI arrest in December. She was sentenced in July to serve four days in jail, but was released 82 minutes after checking in.

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stated that Richie’s quick release was “based on jail overcrowding to manage population levels mandated by Federal Court guidelines,” which met the current criteria for a female arrestee sentenced to 30 days or less for a non violent offense.

“She did everything she was asked and exactly how the way they requested,” Richie’s rep told Access.

THE LATEST IN K-FED & BRITNEY: Kevin Federline’s defense team issued a subpoena to the Promises rehab facility, where ex-wife Britney Spears spent a month being treated earlier this year. This was the latest in a string of issued subpoenas, as K-fed’s team continue to build their case in the custody battle with Britney over the couple’s two kids – Sean Preston and Jayden James.

Another potential target of Kevin’s team — Britney’s former manager, Larry Rudolph — laughingly told Access this week via phone that he was “on vacation” and “hiding out from Kevin’s processors” after hearing from friends that K-Fed’s team had been showing up at his office and on his doorstep, presumably to serve him a subpoena.

Britney herself was “missing” for a little while this week, with conflicting reports as to her whereabouts permeating the web. Reports claimed that she was spotted using a bathroom at a restaurant in Belgium, but those reports proved false when she was photographed driving in the Los Angeles area with a friend and her two sons.

As for those rumors that Britney may perform at the MTV Video Music Awards? A source told Access on Friday that there is “a very strong chance Britney will open the MTV VMAs.”

JESSICA’S ‘MAJOR’ INJURY: It was confirmed this week that Jessica Simpson had bruised her nose on the set of “Major Movie Star” when she hit herself with a prop gun during a shoot. Despite the injury, she was able to continue filming.

Meanwhile, Jessica’s co-star, Vivica A. Fox, denied reports that Simpson had exhibited “diva-like behavior” on the set, referring to her as “wonderful” and a “team player.”

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