Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson wiped away silent tears as a jury read the verdict she had long awaited: her brother-in-law was guilty of killing her mother, brother and young nephew.

William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, was accused of killing his in-laws in October 2008 and then hiding his stepson's body to try to cover his crimes.

French feminists on Friday slammed the Cannes Film Festival for failing to include a single woman director in the line-up for the Palme d'Or top award that kicks off next week.

There are no female film-makers among the 22 competing for the top award at the May 16-27 festival, and just two among the 17 in its new talent section "Un Certain Regard": France's Catherine Corsini and Sylvie Verheyde.

Brad Pitt has been tapped as the new face of Chanel No.5, the iconic perfume from the French fashion house whose most famous ambassador was the late Marilyn Monroe.

Chanel announced the launch of a new ad campaign featuring the Hollywood heartthrob for its No.5, one of the world's best-known woman's fragrances, in a statement on Wednesday.

Pop star Rihanna was briefly hospitalized in the U.S. this week and posted a picture on Twitter showing her arm hooked up to an intravenous drip, with media reports citing "exhaustion" and "dehydration."

Several entertainment news websites reported Wednesday that the Barbados-born singer was admitted after attending the Met Costume Ball in New York on Monday night. She had for several days told her Twitter followers that she had been feeling sick.

Swedish cheap-and-chic fashion giant H&M on Thursday apologized over a swimwear campaign featuring a deeply tanned model that sparked outrage among cancer groups.

"We are sorry if we have upset anyone with our latest swimwear campaign. It was not our intention to show off a specific ideal or to encourage dangerous behavior, but was instead to show off our latest summer collection," the company said in an email sent to Agence France Presse.

Actress Reese Witherspoon's mother has taken her father to court on bigamy charges and said she fears he is suffering from dementia after he wed a long-time girlfriend without obtaining a divorce.

Mary Elizabeth Witherspoon, who goes by Betty, said she learned of the illegal marriage after friends called and told her about a wedding announcement that was published in the Tennessean newspaper on April 22.

Hollywood stars welcomed Barack Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage, as the U.S. president jetted in Thursday for a record-breaking fundraiser in Tinseltown.

Gay celebrities lined up to hail the decision, which risks making the issue a key election year battle issue as likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney immediately opposed Obama's position.

Rima Fakih, the first Arab-American to be crowned Miss USA, avoided jail during sentencing Wednesday in her Michigan drunken driving case, an experience she described as "very humbling."

Judge William McConico put Fakih on six months of probation, ordered the former beauty queen to perform 20 hours of community service and said she must pay $600 in fines and costs. Fakih also must attend an alcohol safety class.

George Clooney, who hosts a star-studded fundraiser for Barack Obama Thursday, is a Hollywood A-lister turned activist for liberal causes like Sudan, Haiti -- and now the U.S. leader's re-election

The movie heartthrob's $40,000-a-plate dinner is being tipped as possibly the biggest presidential fundraiser ever, bolstering Obama's coffers to the tune of $12 million as he gears up for a fierce re-election fight.

Druggy roadtrips, soul-searching drama and stylish gangland flicks go head to head on the French Riviera next week as a galaxy of stars and directors converge for the Cannes film festival.

David Cronenberg, Ken Loach and Michael Haneke headline the pick of 22 international filmmakers vying for the Palme d'Or award at the 65th edition of the world's top cinema showcase from May 16 to 27.