Actor Brad Renfro, who became a child star at 14 in The Client but in recent years was plagued by numerous drug problems and arrests, was found dead at his Los Angeles home Tuesday morning; he was 25. While the Los Angeles County coroner confirmed to Access Hollywood that Renfro had died, a cause of death was not named. The Tennessee-born actor snagged an amazingly high-profile part for his first role, that of a young boy sought by the mafia in the 1994 adaptation of the John Grisham novel The Client, opposite established stars Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. His impressive performance in the box office hit made him a high-profile young actor, and roles in such films as Tom and Huck, Sleepers and Telling Lies in America followed; he also appeared opposite Ian McKellen in Bryan Singer's controversial Apt Pupil, about a young student who blackmails his elderly neighbor, whom he believes is a Nazi war criminal. Despite a string of successful roles, including solid performances in Bully and Ghost World, Renfro reportedly found adapting to Hollywood difficult, and was arrested on a number of drug and theft charges. In 2000, he was arrested in Florida on grand theft charges for allegedly trying to steal a 45-foot yacht, and while on probation for the crime was jailed for underage drinking. Other arrests followed, and last year he was found in violation of his probation for failing to enroll in a drug treatment program. Most recently, Renfro had appeared in The Jacket as well as an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He had just wrapped filming on The Informers opposite Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger.

Britney Spears' apparent no-show in court in Los Angeles on Monday has cost the troubled pop star dearly - she will go a month without seeing her two young sons. Spears arrived at Los Angeles Superior Court for a crucial custody hearing four hours late and then reportedly refused to enter the courthouse. The singer left, only to return minutes later appearing briefly before an army of paparazzi and then speeding off again. She spent Monday afternoon in a San Fernando Valley, California church, dressed in one of the outfits she wore when she wed ex-husband Kevin Federline in 2004. The star then went for lunch with paparazzi boyfriend Adnan Ghalib before heading home. And her bizarre behavior only served to frustrate the Los Angeles Commissioner overseeing Spears' custody battle with Federline; he ruled the singer will have to wait until the next hearing on February 19 to fight for access to her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. The order came after several of the police officials and paramedics who witnessed the apparent breakdown, which cost Spears her visitation rights at the beginning of the month testified about the incident. The authorities were called to Spears' L.A. home on January 3 after she refused to hand over her youngest son, Jayden James, to a Federline employee at the end of a scheduled visit. Spears then locked herself and the one-year-old in a bathroom for three hours. She was later admitted to hospital.

Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary has been arrested in connection with a fatal car crash in Los Angeles. Avary, 42, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence after a passenger in his car died on Sunday. Captain Monica McGrath of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department said Avary was released on $50,000 bail. Avary's passenger Andreas Zedini, 34, died of his injuries at a local hospital. His wife, Gretchen, 40, was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries after being ejected from the car. Her condition is unknown.

Movie star Wesley Snipes kicked off his tax fraud and conspiracy trial in Ocala, Florida on Monday. The Blade star's legal team interviewed almost 70 potential character witnesses as jury selection began. The bizarre list of names included boxing legend Muhammad Ali, moviemaker Spike Lee, Sylvester Stallone and Snipes' White Men Can't Jump co-star Woody Harrelson. Snipes, 45, stands accused of conspiring to defraud the U.S. of millions of dollars in 2000 as part of a conspiracy scheme with co-defendants Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile, and then failing to file tax returns. Opening arguments in the trial are expected to start on Tuesday. Snipes faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted. He recently failed in his bid to move proceedings from Ocala, after insisting the townsfolk were racist, and he wouldn't be able to get a fair hearing. Before appearing in court, Snipes took part in a vigil with the leaders of several predominantly black churches, who then followed the actor to court.

Veteran actor Gary Collins has turned himself in to California authorities to begin a 96-hour sentence after pleading guilty to drink driving last month. The TV star checked into Glendale City Jail on Monday, where he will find himself in good company - Kiefer Sutherland is also serving time at the prison following his DUI conviction last September. Collins, 69, was handed the prison sentence in December following his October arrest after the actor crashed his black Ford Explorer into a blue Toyota while driving through Sherman Oaks, California. In addition to his jail time, Collins must complete 100 hours of community service. He was also fined $500 and will be placed on probation for four years, reports TMZ.com.

Mary J. Blige has slammed reports linking her to a steroid investigation in the U.S., insisting she has never taken the performance-enhancing drug. The Grammy award-winning star, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean and actor Tyler Perry have all been accused of ordering steroids or human growth hormone from doctors and pharmacists. Albany County District Attorney David Soares named the celebrities who featured in his investigation on Sunday. But Blige vehemently denies any involvement. The singer's spokeswoman Karynne Tencer tells the New York Daily News, "Mary J. Blige has never taken any performance-enhancing illegal steroids." Authorities have uncovered no evidence the celebrities violated any drug laws.

The last installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise may be released in two parts - because one edit of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows could leave out too much information about the boy wizard's final adventures. The sixth film in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is due for release in November, and although the characters' futures are wrapped up in just seven novels by author J.K. Rowling, fans of the movies will be given an extra treat with a double dose of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A source says, "There's so much to fit that the view is the last movie should be in two halves. There is a huge battle when Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, takes on (evil wizard, Lord) Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes) that needs to be done really well." And Rowling has briefly commented on the reports herself, stating on her website: "It is simply impossible to incorporate every storyline into a film under four hours long." Fans of the books have previously criticized the big-screen adaptations for their lack of detail.

New mom Christina Aguilera has paid tribute to her husband and her fans in a touching new film posted on her website. The singer, who became a first-time mom on Saturday, has placed never-before-seen home video footage of her wedding day preparations online together with clips from her past videos. Some of the clips featured Aguilera wearing nothing but her wedding day lingerie, applying her make-up before the November 2005 nuptials. Aguilera's song tribute to husband Jordan Bratman, "Save Me From Myself," was used as the score for the montage of clips. In a touching message accompanying the short film, Aguilera writes, "In honor of our love for each other and our growing family, I have put together a special video for the song 'Save Me From Myself'... This video is very dear to me as it includes actual footage from our personal wedding video! Just a little something to say 'thank you' for your undying love and support. It is in no small part because of you that I live such a blessed and wonderful life!"

Jennifer Lopez has ended her year-long relationship with manager Irving Azoff, amid confusion about who sacked who. Lopez insists she cancelled her contract with the music industry mogul, who is largely responsible for the successes of supergroups the Eagles and Van Halen and British singer Seal. Her representative has revealed "she let him go on Friday with no drama." But sources claim Azoff fired the actress/singer for being "unprofessional" and for letting her husband Marc Anthony "constantly meddle" with her career, according to website Tmz.Com. Sources claim Azoff sent Lopez a letter last week, revealing in "blunt terms" why he ended the relationship. This was reportedly followed by a "heated phone call" between Lopez's representatives and Azoff.

Queen Latifah gave the cast and crew something to look forward to every Friday on the set of her new film Mad Money - she gave cash away. The rapper-turned-singer/actress came up with a "five dollar Friday" ruse that would give runners, camera operators and interns the chance to go home for the weekend with a cash bonus. The generous Chicago star explains, "It was actually my way of giving back to the crew. Sometimes you get to throw a barbecue or do something special but usually I know that the crew people are working really hard and everybody is not making the same amount of money we are. So we do this five dollar Fridays thing and everybody writes their name on a five dollar bill and puts it into a bucket and at the end of the day somebody picks a bill out and whoever's name is on the bill wins all the money." And Latifah, real name Dana Owens, had a way of sweetening the deal further: "I'd double the money every Friday. It could be a lot of money, so don't tell the IRS (tax authorities at the Internal Revenue Service)."

Paris Hilton is heading to Harvard University, but not to study - she will be named its Woman of the Year. The socialite is scheduled to stop by the Cambridge, Massachusetts institution on February 6 during a promotional tour for her new movie The Hottie And The Nottie. And PageSix.com claims she will pick up the award from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club the very next day. Previous Women of the Year include Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry and Sarah Jessica Parker.