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• In what may be the weirdest celebrity extortion attempt ever, a German male model named Edis Kayalar has been arrested for trying to blackmail Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber with a "sexy" photo of the couple's then 7-year-old daughter "in revealing clothing, bound to a chair and gagged." Apparently, the pic had been taking by the girl's former babysitter during an innocent game of cops and robbers and she used to date Kayalar. [NYDN, People]
• All those phone calls that Michael Lohan recorded may ultimately land him in jail (again). A 2005 protective order obtained by Dina Lohan banned him from communicating with her by email or phone until 2011. [TMZ]
• Spend enough time on Twitter and you, too, may find yourself dating a beautiful young starlet! Emmy Rossum says her relationship with Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz "began with a Tweet," believe it or not. [People]

• Nic Cage has been hurting financially the past few months and has been busy trying to unload his numerous homes around the country. But he may have just found his savior. It's Johnny Depp, strangely enough, since he "owes his career to Cage," apparently. [Hello]
• Nicole Kidman looked a little funny when she turned up to the Country Music Awards on Wednesday. ("She looked freakish," said one observer. "She just had her lips done, and now she looks like Meg Ryan.") This probably explains why she was a bit media shy, too, and refused to grant any interviews on the red carpet. [P6]
• A woman went crazy on Chris Brown when he appeared at a Footaction store for a promotional appearance on Wednesday night and shouted obscenities at him as he left the location. There's video of the encounter, too, if you're interested. [P6]
• Clips from Oprah's exclusive interview with Sarah Palin are online. (Winfrey's full chat with Palin airs on November 16.) Meanwhile Barbara Walters got dibs on the first interview with Palin's kids and that will air on Good Morning America next week. Trig won't be a part of it, though, since he has a cold. [P6, People]
• A day after Carrie Prejean said Larry King acted "inappropriately" with her, prompting her to awkwardly take off her microphone and nearly leave the set mid-interview and she's done it again. She reportedly bailed on a Washington speaking engagement yesterday. [TMZ]
• Mike Tyson says he was just defending his wife and child when he socked a photographer at LAX the other day. [People]
• Hackers managed to gain access to Britney Spears' Twitter account again. This time they announced to the world that she worshipped the devil before the account was shut down. [AP]
• It's been a few weeks since Jessica Simpson defended her sister Ashlee's acting skills and now Ashlee is defending Jessica's weight in Women's Health, telling the mag she's "one sexy lady" and she feels "sorry for anyone who would judge her." Oh, and if you're one of the five people still watching Melrose Place, be sure to watch Ashlee's upcoming "crazy naked" scene with the show's other booted cast member, Colin Egglesfield. It's supposedly "saucy." [NYDN, E!]
• The baseball season is over, so naturally Derek Jeter dressed up as a bum to play "a fictionalized version of himself" in an upcoming movie. [NYP]
• The giant profile of Megan Fox from the new Times Magazine is online. So what will you learn about her if you read it? That she's sick and tired of girls calling her a "slut" and thinks she's misunderstood by the public because her "sarcasm" and "self-deprecating humor" don't translate in print. [NYT]
• According to a new tell-all, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have "broken up so many times it would make your head spin." Also? Jolie supposedly once tried to hire a hit mad to kill her in 1998 since she was so depressed. [Us]
• Imitation of Christ co-founder Tara Subkoff is still having trouble paying her bills following surgery to treat a brain tumor. New York Foundation for the Arts agreed to sponsor a fundraiser to pay for her surgery and rehabilitation, but now the non-profit has refused to cough up some of the money that was collected. For its part, NYFA says it's "willing and eager to cover medical expenses and post-op rehabilitation," but not Subkoff's rent. [P6]
• Levi Johnston's Playgirl shoot took place yesterday and continues again today. Johnston supposedly wields a (strategically placed?) hockey stick in the photos, in case you're wondering. [Us]
• In other Levi news, it seems Alaska's favorite son has been on the hunt for cash since he arrived in NYC. Johnston's manager, Tank Jones, apparently told the club M2 that he'd bring Johnston round for a visit in exchange for a $3,000 fee. They turned him down, though, and offered a measly round of complimentary soft drinks instead. [P6]