Simpson-Wentz loses her role on Melrose. Madonna is building a school in Malawi. Lindsay Lohan coaxes a club into lifting its ban on her presence. Come, enjoy the fruits of Friday's gossip.

  • Did you hear? Did you hear? Ashlee Simpson got fired! A mere two months into Melrose Place's run, she and Colin Egglesfield have been let go, merely as a function of the plot, you see, it has nothing to do with their acting abilities or Ashlee being too big a star for the CW. The show's producer told Entertainment Weekly that, since they finally got ol' Ashlee out of the way, the show start being "fun, romantic, [and] sexy." Yes, that quote is out of context. [EW]
  • Madonna's pulling an Oprah, with plans to build a $15 million all-girls school in Malawi. Hopefully Madge's will have fewer sex scandals. Is it inappropriate to now note how cute Lourdes looks in the pic NYDN accompanies the article? Because really, adorable. [Page 6]
  • Three more alleged Lohan/Patridge burglars have been unmasked. They're all teenagers, and one is under investigation for swiping $2 million in jewelry from Paris Hilton's house. Kids these days! So greedy, so cunning, so frighteningly well-connected. [TMZ]
  • Lindsay Lohan's ban from Avenue has been lifted, a great relief to proponents of LiLo debauchery and/or self-destruction. The ban started when Lindsay tweeted about Justin Timberlake macking on some chick who wasn't his girlfriend, which is verboten because what happens at Avenue stays at Avenue, see? Ever the self-starter, Lindsay "besieged" Avenue with requests to be let back into its gilded inner-circle. They relented, and she went twice last week. [Page 6]
  • Gerard Butler is maybe-dating Jessica Simpson. Gerard Butler was seen at Waverly Inn with "a sexy blonde with an unidentified accent." Gerard Butler recently said he's into threesomes, so maybe...??? [3AM] [Page 6]
  • Jamie Foxx drove Gerard Butler "crazy" because he followed him around his dressing room on the set of Law Abiding Citizen. Gerard Butler recently said he's into threesomes, so maybe...??? [Show Biz Spy]
  • New Moon star Taylor Lautner discusses, yet again, how ripped he got for his werewolf role, which requires him to cavort on screen without his shirt a bunch. He says he'd like to be known for his acting some day, too. [Show Biz Spy]