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By McKay Heim and George Larrimore

CLOSURE: Looks as if a judge in West Palm Beach will rule on Wednesday in the three-way legal battle over possession of Anna Nicole’s body.Word is Judge Lawrence Korda will give each side 20 minutes to state their case.Then he’ll ponder and rule.The Bahamas has the pole position, because of the sentiment to put her body next to her son Daniel’s.Meanwhile, the media are respectfully asking that a pool camera system be set up so that reporters and crews don’t start stampeding over each other for the Money Shot.More than likely there will be a tent over the gravesite as before.

DRESSING THE DEAD: Meanwhile the designer for the dress Anna Nicole will be buried in has flown the frock to Miami, in anticipation of the funeral. Someone else waiting and waiting.

EXCLUSIVE: Our Tony Potts landed the only interview with Larry Birkhead, the presumed father of Dannielynn.Airing on the “Today” show as well as on Access Hollywood and Bravo TV, Larry comes across as honorable and emotional.He told Tony he got the news about Anna Nicole while sitting in a dentist’s chair and at first, “I thought this was a joke, because she had only one more day to pick out the date for the paternity test.“He also said he got the word of her death from a friend but couldn’t really process it. “And I kept saying, no, save her.Somebody save her.And I just thought for a second… and I just said I’ll go save her .If they can’t I will.”

Often breaking down during the interview, Larry also talked about how their relationship was a rocky one at the end, and that e-mails he had to read on the witness standdid not make it look any better: “I think everyone has to remember that both Anna and myself were both suffering a loss.I lost my daughter because I never knew her.And she lost her son and emotions were high.”

COINCIDENCE? Here we are, getting into the hot and heavy part of the “American Idol” season and now we have Another Controversy.The contestant in the middle this time is Antonella Barba.By all accounts, a beautiful young woman.By most accounts, not much of a singer.But now there are “Pictures” of her.Pictures on the Internet.Some that are definitely her.Candid, the kind an ex-boyfriend might be in a postion to take.Plus some others that are apparently not her, but regardless, these pictures especially have upped the “Idol” buzz among the key Young Male Demographic.

Maybe that’s a coincidence too, except that we don’t believe in coincidence. Ever.

DOING TIME: Bobby Brown now serving his second night in a Massachusetts jail, a judge ordering the ex-Mr. Whitney Houston held until he can come up with $19,000 to catch up on child support payments.He was arrested while attending a cheerleading event in which his daughter was performing. The way this delay looks does not bode well for Bobby’s future.

I WANT BRITNEY BACK: That’s how US Weekly says Kevin Federline is feeling, now that Britney is finally in rehab.The magazine has details that include a Tough Love session in which mom Lynn and Kevin told Britney they were taking the kids until she got some help. But before going back in Britney did have one day to party at LA’s Mondrian Hotel. She made friends with some women she met, shaved her legs in the bathroom and borrowed a bikini to spend some time in the pool. Britney always seems to serve up some creepy details.

RELEASE OF THE DAY: Comes to us from Raymone Bain, the long-time spokesperson for Michael Jackson. In case you were wondering she advises:

- Mr. Jackson is not planning a concert tour with members of his family.

- Mr. Jackson did not move to Las Vegas to shop a Vegas show. (He moved to Vegas because he likes it).

- Mr. Jackson has no current plans to appear or perform on ?American Idol.?

- Mr. Jackson never leased property from Michael Flatly in Ireland. Therefore, she claims, reports that he was ?evicted? from property owned by Flatly are
erroneous and defamatory.

… And we hadn’t even heard about the Michael Flatly thing.

You heard some Hollywood News? We were just looking for some Hollywood news.. contact McGeorge.news@nbcuni.com

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