Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan is planning to join the ranks of Madonna, Prince and Bjork — by dropping her last name, according to her mother.
“Lindsay is dropping the Lohan and just going by Lindsay,” Dina Lohan told AOL celebrity news site Popeater.com on Friday.
The decision appears to be motivated by a desire to distance the Mean Girls actress from her estranged father Michael Lohan, who was charged last week with assaulting his girlfriend and who has a history of run-ins with the law.
Photo: Reuters
Dina Lohan told Popeater that she and her younger daughter Ali — also an aspiring singer and actress — are officially changing their last names to her maiden name, Sullivan.
Dina and Michael Lohan divorced in 2007 — the year Lindsay Lohan was arrested for drunk driving and cocaine possession, starting a downward spiral of trips to rehab, failed drug tests and jail. The former Parent Trap child star is currently facing trial on a jewelry theft charge that could send her back behind bars if convicted.
Lindsay Lohan rejected a judge’s offer to end the felony grand theft case early and her attorney said on Wednesday it is because the actress has a strong defense and is confident she can win an acquittal.
“Ms Lohan has maintained her innocence from the moment this case was filed and she has never wavered,’’ attorney Shawn Holley wrote in a statement released hours after the actress informed a judge she would not accept his plea offer.
Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz never publicly detailed the terms of his offer to Lohan, but said if she pleaded no contest or guilty to taking a US$2,500 necklace, he would sentence her to jail.
Prosecutors are also seeking jail time for the star, who was on probation for a 2007 drunken driving case when a store told police that Lohan had taken a necklace without permission in January.
“Though many advised her to follow the safe route by taking ‘the deal,’ the truth is, Ms Lohan is innocent; she has a strong defense; and we are confident that a jury will listen to the evidence fairly and acquit her,’’ Holley wrote.
The preliminary hearing will be conducted by a new judge — the fourth one Lohan has faced in the past year — who will determine whether there is enough evidence for Lohan to stand trial on the felony grand theft charge.
If the judge rules Lohan should stand trial, the actress could immediately be sentenced for a probation violation from the DUI case and sent to jail for the fourth time.
In other legal news, the US judge overseeing the manslaughter trial of pop icon Michael Jackson’s doctor said Friday he needs more juror candidates, after a first round of jury selection failed to produce enough.
Judge Michael Pastor said that some 200 candidates had been rejected in two days of selection at the LA Superior Court, having proved that sitting on the likely two-month trial starting in May would be a financial hardship.
Conrad Murray claims he was just giving an insomnia treatment when the singer died on June 25, 2009 from an overdose of powerful anesthetic propofol. He pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter at preliminary hearings in January.
Pastor, after meeting with lawyers for both sides following two days of jury selection, said Friday they “simply do not have a sufficient number,” and asked for more candidates to turn up on April 7 to face preliminary screening.
So far 147 candidates have been given an extensive questionnaire, which asks what they already know about the case with a view to ensuring impartiality in the final 12-strong jury and six alternates chosen.
The closely-watched trial had been due to start last week, but was delayed and will now get underway with opening statements on May 9. It is expected to end by early July.
Murray could face up to four years in jail and permanently lose his doctor’s license if convicted.
Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon on Saturday formally married her entertainment agent Jim Toth, People magazine reported on its Web site.
The Hollywood celebrities present at the ceremony included Renee Zellweger, Salma Hayek, Sean Penn, Scarlett Johansson, Tobey Maguire and Robert Downey Jr, the magazine said.
The actress, who won her Oscar in 2006 for her role in Walk the Line, became engaged to Toth in December.
The wedding ceremony took place at Witherspoon’s ranch estate in Ojai, California, the report said.
Witherspoon was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe and has two children with him. The couple divorced in 2008.
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