ESPN analyst leaves over affair; Lil Wayne pleads guilty

-- ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips acknowledged having an affair with an assistant at the cable network and has taken a leave of absence during the playoffs. Police say 22-year-old ESPN production assistant Brooke Hundley began calling Phillips' wife, Marni, on Aug. 5 after he broke off the affair and sent her a letter graphically describing their relationship and Phillips' birthmarks. The couple's 16-year-old son also said that Hundley had posed as a high school classmate and sent repeated instant messages asking about his family and parents' marriage. Brooke Hundley, according to the NY Daily News, also has job hopped through HBO, ABC, NBC Sports as well as ESPN on her resume. [AP | NYDailyNews]

-- The Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted weapon possession today, and expects to receive a one-year jail sentence. He previously had pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession charges that carried at least 3 1/2 years in prison upon conviction.[AP]

-- Twilight's vampires are hitting the red carpet... in Rome. Before this advance screening of  "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," Actors Cameron Bright, Charlie Bewley and Jamie Campbell Bower will be followed on the carpet by a team of flag weavers from Volterra, the Tuscan village the Volturi call home. [AP]

-- Six weeks after welcoming their first son, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden – along with their 21-month-old daughter Harlow – are showing off the latest addition to their family, Sparrow James Midnight Madden [People]

-- Nicole Kidman conceded Wednesday that Hollywood has probably contributed to violence against women by portraying them as weak sex objects. [AP]

-- Oh boy. Obama suggested Fox News is like 'talk radio" in an interview airing today on NBC. [TheHill.com]

-- Hiliarious! Cracked.com asked users to Photoshop life  without the Internet. My favorite is right here. See the rest of the results. But be warned there's some foul language in them there pictures. [Cracked.com]

-- ShowBiz Minute: Judge orders retrial in John Travolta extortion case; Hollywood probably contributes to violence says Nicole Kidman; 'Toy Story' maker Lasseter earns producer prize. [AP]

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