The Access Entertainment Week In Review: Lindsay, Britney & Nicole

Lindsay Lohan provided the big stories again this week, kicking off with her second arrest for alleged DUI in less than three months.

Lohan was arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of drunken driving at approximately 1:30 AM, According to Santa Monica Police. Police received a 911 call from someone claiming they were being chased by another vehicle, which turned out to be a white SUV driven by Lohan. Access Hollywood learned the driver of the vehicle being “chased” was Michelle Peck, the mother of Lindsay’s assistant, Tarin Graham, who had just been fired. (you can listen to what is presumed to be the voice of Peck on the 911 call HERE).

Lohan was taken to jail where her blood-alcohol level registered a .12 (well above the legal limit which is .08). She was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence, as well as driving on a suspended license. Police also alleged that a “usable amount” of cocaine was in found in her pocket.

Two other people were reportedly in the vehicle, but were released. Lohan was released shortly before 6:30 AM PST on $25,000 bail.

Shortly after her arrest, Lindsay’s attorney, Blair Berk, released the following statement to Access:

“Addiction is a terrible and vicious disease. Since Lindsay transitioned to outpatient care, she has been monitored on a SCRAM bracelet and tested daily in order to support her sobriety. Throughout this period, I have received timely and accurate reports from the testing companies. Unfortunately, late yesterday I was informed that Lindsay had relapsed. The bracelet has now been removed. She is safe, out of custody and presently receiving medical care.”

That same day, Lindsay went on the record about her arrest, communicating only with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. When Billy e-mailed Lohan asking if everything was OK and if there was anything she wanted him to get out there for her, she responded, “Yes. I am innocent… did not do drugs they’re not mine. I was almost hit by my assistant Tarin’s mom. I appreciate everyone giving me my privacy.”

As news of Lindsay’s arrest spread, some family members came forward with their thoughts on the situation. Lindsay’s estranged father, Michael Lohan, spoke with Billy Bush, citing the separation of the Lohan family as a reason for Lindsay’s current troubles.

“Look, let’s be serious. The writing is on the wall,” said Michael. “When we were a family, did you see any of this going on? It wasn’t until we were torn apart, at the pinnacle of Lindsay’s career no less, when people came into the picture did everything fall apart.” Michael, who is currently embroiled in a messy divorce and custody battle with Lindsay’s mother, Dina, maintained that he was not “criticizing” Dina in the interview with Billy, but the ex-con turned ordained minister said that Dina is “accountable for herself and just like Lindsay, Dina needs to clean house.”

Lindsay’s 13 year-old sister, Ali, responded to Michael’s media comments with an email to VH1’s Sizzler correspondent, David Caplan. She accused her father of lying to people about being a “great dad,” and defended what she perceived to be criticism from Michael about her mother. “My mom is a single mom of four children,” she wrote. “She has always been there for us, she was my mother and father and still is.”

Meanwhile, Lindsay’s uncle spoke up about her arrest to The NY Post, claiming that Lindsay was trying to “help” her assistant on the night of the arrest, and that Tarin’s “mother got involved and became hysterical.” He reportedly added that “She [Lindsay] may well have not been driving the car. This girl and her mother are letting Lindsay take the fall, but hopefully the truth will come out! That would get rid of most of the charges.”

On Wednesday, Access obtained court papers filed by Lindsay, addressing accusations made by Raymundo Ortega that Lohan was drunk at the time of a fender bender in October 2005. In the papers filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Lindsay claims the accusations made by Ortega are “nothing more than an attempt to extort money from a celebrity by making false and scurrilous allegations in a complaint.”

Lindsay’s filing was in response to a lawsuit filed by Ortega in June 14, 2007 claiming Lindsay had “consumed alcohol and became intoxicated” before crashing into his van in 2005. He is seeking $200,000 in damages, and also names The Ivy restaurant as a defendant, claiming its staff gave Lindsay alcoholic drinks even though she was under the legal drinking age. In Lindsay’s filing, she points to the police report taken at the scene, which concluded that “Ms. Lohan had not been drinking and there was no signs of intoxication at the time of the incident.” Additionally, the officer on the scene concluded Ortega caused the accident by making an illegal u-turn in a business district, according to the police report.

On Friday, a new twist in Lindsay’s current saga occurred when a press conference was held addressing a potential lawsuit from three men involved in her late night wild ride on Tuesday. Randall Billington, attorney for Dante Nigro, Jakon Sutter and Ronnie Blake, announced the news. The men claim they were taken on a death-defying ride when Lindsay practically hijacked Dante’s white GMC Yukon Denali.

Their allegations against Lohan are threefold: “Conversion” – Taking the GMC White Yukon Denali (owned by Nigro) without the owner’s permission; “False Imprisonment” – Not allowing the men to get out of the car (except Blake who jumped out); and “Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress” – Intentionally causing the men to fear for their lives by driving erratically and while under the influence.

“If you have seen their interview, they did not want to be in the car with her, and one of them took special liberty to avoid that, and was successful,” Billington told Access’ Shaun Robinson, when she asked if there was concern that the men would come off as opportunists.

According to Billington, they will try to resolve the issues between the parties, but if they cannot reach a resolution, the men are prepared to take it to court.

FOR OUR INTERACTIVE TIMELINE OF LINDSAY’S MISHAPS,

Britney Spears was also in the spotlight this week with her various comings and goings. On Monday, Britney was at the center of a paparazzi melee when she went out in West Hollywood. Spears made a trip to the Lisa Kline Kids boutique for a spot of shopping that afternoon. Upon leaving the store, Spears’ bodyguard, Julio “JC” Camera, was forced to struggle to clear a pathway for the pop singer to her vehicle, due to hoards of paparazzi surrounding the star.

Later, after dining at hotspot The Abbey, Spears’ exit was also a dangerous affair as the paparazzi crashed into each other while trying to get a money shot. To get the singer to her car, Camera grew red and began screaming at the paparazzi. This time though, Spears’ security man appeared to get physical, pushing into the mass of snappers to again clear a path for the star.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Britney raised plenty of eyebrows over at OK! magazine on July 19, when a planned interview and photo session went horribly awry. According to OK!, Britney arrived 45 minutes late to the shoot, for which she was reportedly going to be paid $1 million dollars to do — and things went downhill from there.

Accompanied by three friends, a bodyguard, her personal assistant and her Yorkie pup “London,” Britney reportedly sent OK!‘s people away (opting for her own people to do her hair and makeup), rejected the wardrobe selected for her, and was said to have even damaged some of the items.

“I think one of the most shocking things was Britney’s new little Yorkie pooping on a nearly $7,000 Zac Posen dress, and more so that they weren’t even fazed by it,” OK! magazine’s Society Editor Jennifer Birn told Access Hollywood. Birn also claimed that Britney wiped her hands on a $274 Alisha Levine dress after eating a lunch of fried chicken and vegetables, ruining the dress.

After roughly two hours (and numerous bathroom breaks), Britney suddenly decided she was finished with the shoot even though only four test shots were completed. OK! has decided not to print those photos that reportedly are so bad, they could damage Spears’ career.

“The photographer ran out and tried to talk her back in but she just said she was done and she was leaving,” Birn said of Spears’ rapid exit.

Additionally, OK! claimed that Britney left with about $16,000 worth of merchandise, including a Vera Wang dress, Lanvin heels, a Pucci headscarf, a diamond cougar ring, a diamond poison ring, and a gold bangle.

OK! also alleged that Britney’s cousin and former assistant, Alli Sims, contacted Britney’s ex, Kevin Federline, regarding her increasingly erratic behavior — and now Kevin reportedly wants full custody of their sons, 22-month-old Sean Preston and 10-month-old Jayden James.

“Kevin Federline’s lawyers have contacted Britney’s lawyers and said he wants to sit down with them about getting full custody,” Birn said. “Alli has said she’s [willing to] testify to specific instances where Britney wasn’t good with the children.”

On Thursday, reports surfaced that Britney had gone on a trip to Las Vegas on Wednesday with her sons. It was later confirmed that Britney did indeed take the boys on the trip, which could potentially be problematic in her custody battle with Federline.

Britney and Kevin’s custody agreement reportedly states that neither parent is allowed to take a child out of state without written permission from the other –or by obtaining a court order — which various reports claim Britney failed to do before setting out with the boys.

Access Hollywood has reached out to both Federline’s record label and his lawyer for comment, but a response has not come back as of press time.

On Thursday, Britney’s bodyguard, (the aforementioned Cesar “JC” Camera) was issued a misdemeanor battery summons by the Las Vegas police department following an alleged scuffle between him and two men trying to photograph Spears and her sons at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel-casino. Camera was accused of pushing one of the men against a wall in the fracas, and grabbing and punching the other.

According to police, the incident occurred when Andrew Deetz, 24, and Kyle Henderson, 23, approached Spears and her companions (which included Camera) in a hallway outside the hotel’s spa. Henderson allegedly “bumped” Camera, who was holding Sean Preston at the time. Camera reportedly “shouldered” Henderson against a wall, and then chased the men (after passing Sean Preston off to Britney). Police said that Camera had punched Deetz, but that no serious injuries befell anyone.

“There were no signs of injuries to her or the children, nor is [Spears] listed as a victim,” Las Vegas police Sgt. John Loretto told the Associated Press. Britney is listed as a “witness” in police reports, along with one man and five other women. “The only person issued a citation was Ms. Spears’ private security guard, Mr. Camera,” Loretto said, adding that he could face up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

And finally, Nicole Richie pleaded guilty on Friday to driving under the influence of drugs, and was sentenced to four days in jail by a judge who said she was lucky nobody was killed when she drove the wrong way on a freeway on December 11 of last year. She was also given three years probation, with a penalty of a year behind bars if she ever violates it.

The judge ordered her to 96 hours in custody, however she was given credit for six hours, most likely from the time she spent in jail on the night of her arrest in December, and will need to serve the remaining 90 hours.

Richie, 25, pleaded not guilty in February to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie was arrested early on Dec. 11 after witnesses reported seeing her in a Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank. Richie told authorities she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, a CHP officer said at the time, but no drugs were found on her or in the car at the time of the arrest.

Richie was ordered to enroll in a second-offender drug and alcohol program on Friday, and must prove that she completed it by Feb. 20, 2008.

Whether or not her license gets suspended will be up to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Richie must complete her sentence by September 28. She was not immediately taken into custody and she left the courthouse following the ruling.

Next week, Nicole is scheduled to sit down for an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer. After staying quiet while rumors began circulating she was pregnant, the daughter of singing star Lionel Richie is finally expected to reveal all to the anchor. Other rumors fans may be hoping the celebutante will address include her potential wedding to boyfriend, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden.

Even Richie’s own father Lionel didn’t have answers to the question of whether Nicole was planning on tying the knot when asked during a recent interview with Access Hollywood.

“Nicole is probably one of those wonderful people that will not tell her father until I keep going, ‘Come on Nic. I’m your father. What’s going on?’” Lionel said.

”[She’ll say] ‘Nothing dad, nothing.’ So right now, she’s in nothing mode. I don’t know. She’ll let me know about it at the very last minute.”