Tony Snow, Jennifer Hudson, Sean Penn, Heather Locklear and much more

Tony Snow: Even though liberals aren't fond of the White House Press Secretary's boss, they cut Snow some slack because he has always been a consistent newsman who gives credit where credit is due. Case in point: He recently said, "When you see an Elizabeth Edwards saying, "I'm going to embrace life and I'm going to move forward," that is a wonderful thing." Snow, who had his colon removed in 2005, underwent surgery Monday to remove a small growth in his lower right pelvic area. He was told that is was cancerous and that he will need more treatments again. A second report stated that he has cancer of the liver. During the White House press briefing today, Dana Perino told reporters, "He said he's going to beat it again." She was clearly shaken by the news. There was no spin, no political agenda at play. Perino is like most of us. She wants the best for her friend and co-worker. Keep the Snow family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sean "Diddy" Combs: Fans of the rap superstar in England won't be able to see him perform on his current European tour. His record company reported that he canceled all of his UK gigs because the government would not issue a visa to his performance partner, Snoop Dog. Snoop gave British law enforcement officials a major headache the last time he was in the area. He was arrested at London's Heathrow airport last year after members of his traveling party got into a mini-battle that left seven police officers injured. The Diddy/Snoop tour will issue refunds to people who bought tickets for the concerts.

Jennifer Hudson: The former American Idol contestant has been a busy lady since winning the Supporting Actress Oscar for her stunning performance in Dreamgirls. During the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards Monday in New York, she had a chance to meet one of the women she considers tops in the music world. Hudson presented the Excellence in Media Award award to Patti LaBelle to honor her dedication to the gay and lesbian community as well as the work she does on behalf of the AIDS community. Before the singers left the stage, they delighted the crowd with an a cappella version of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." Rosie O'Donnell scored with the audience when she accepted the Outstanding Documentary award for All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise. Other winners included Bravo's Project Runway and the independent film Quinceanera. A complete list of all the people and shows honored can be found at the GLAAD web site.

Sean Penn: The Oscar-winning actor was in Oakland over the weekend to either speak at an anti-war rally or to find a company that can plug the hole in that boat he tried to rescue people with in New Orleans. At a town hall meeting attended by numerous politicians, he said, "Let's make this crystal clear: We do support our troops, but not the exploitation of them and their families." Penn added later, "Iraq is not our toilet. It's a country of human beings whose lives that were once oppressed by Saddam are now in Dante's Inferno." The star also referred to the pro-Bush crowd as "smarmy pundits." It's probably that reference that will get him kicked off the White House Christ card list this year.

R. Lee Ermey: Speaking of military matters, this item from the History Channel caught TVNow's attention this morning. Ermey singed a new multi-year deal with History that will keep his popular Mail Call (web site) series running beyond its current eighth season. The former Full Metal Jacket star uses the show to educate viewers about combat and the tools soldiers need to be successful on the field of battle. Ermey's new deal also calls for him to play a major role in the network's online sites and to help develop new programming.

Heather Locklear: The actress left quite an impression on ABC suits when she starred on Boston Legal two years ago in the role of Kelly Nolan, a murder defendant who was called "The Black Widow" by the media. The two-part episode offered viewers the chance to see Alan Shore (James Spader) and Brad Chase (Mark Valley) put aside their petty differences for the good of their beautiful client. ABC announced that Locklear will play the lead role in the new comedy pilot See Jayne Run. She will play a successful investment banker who tries to leave her hard-edged work personality at the office when she goes home at night to be a mother with nanny issues. Other actors assigned to the project include Ava Gaudet, Jarrad Paul, Kurt Fuller and Stephen Rannazzisi.

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Anna Nicole Smith, James Gandolfini, Britney Spears and more...

Anna Nicole Smith: A "breaking news" event played out on television this morning that was fit for a king, or at least the death of a king. Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper made it clear that Smith died from an accidental overdose of legal drugs. Chief Charlie Tiger of the Seminole police department also said that her death was not caused by any type of foul play. When the model was found unresponsive at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood (Florida), she had nine drugs in her system. Maybe someone should look into the conduct of the people who acquired the drugs and gave them to her. Smith had a high temperature for days before she died. Her death could have been prevented so easily!

James Gandolfini: The actor has banked a ton of cash since taking on the role of Tony Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos, so he should have a say in how his series ends this year. In April, DISH Entertainment Magazine has an interesting section that features comments from ten of the award-winning drama's stars. If he was writing the final episode, Gandolfini would like to see Tony, "whacked and fed to the ducks." The actress who plays his shrink on the show, Lorraine Bracco, would probably agree, and who can blame her. She told DISH that her favorite client mooned her one day. Now that really is cruel and unusual punishment. The final nine episodes will begin airing on HBO Sunday, April 8.

Britney Spears: If you read gossip news today that suggests the fallen pop star is back in the hospital, ignore most of it. She has not had a relapse and is not going nuts. Spears visited Century City Hospital to have repair work done on one of her molars. The entire procedure took less than an hour. Prior to the emergency, she was seen shopping with her bodyguard and cousin. To be honest about it, the singer was in more danger from the paparazzi that followed her to the hospital than the tooth.

Richard Dreyfuss: When Dreyfuss talks about being a responsible citizen, he backs it up with actions. The Oscar-winning star of The Goodbye Girl is the co-founder of L.A. Works, a nonprofit, public action and volunteer center in Los Angeles. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles ACLU Foundation. Today (Monday, March 26), he will be the keynote speaker at the Philadelphia Bar Association's Quarterly Meeting. Association Chancellor Jane Dalton said, "Mr. Dreyfuss speaks passionately and eloquently about the importance of an enlightened populace that understands the need for reason, logic, clarity, dissent, civility and debate." The actor plans to talk about the importance of civic education.

Johnny Depp: Earlier this month, TVNow reported on the actor's daughter, 7-year-old Lily-Rose, when she was in a London hospital fighting for her life. According to the British newspaper The Sun, there was a very good reason for Depp and his life-mate, Vanessa Paradis, to spend all their waking hours by their child's side. Lily-Rose was infected with the E.coli virus, which is normally passed to its victims through food or drink. In children, the virus can cause severe diarrhea that results in dehydration. Untreated, the condition can be fatal. Fortunately, Depp's daughter responded to treatment and is recovering at home in France. The actor is scheduled to resume his work on the movie version of Sweeney Todd on Monday.

Skeet Ulrich: Fans of the Jericho star will be able to find the latest series episodes via Sprint. CBS and Sprint announced that network programming is coming to Sprint TVSM with live mobilecasts, full episodes and video clips from many popular CBS programs. Of course, there's a price for this new digital adventure. CBS plans to sell advertising across its programming on the Sprint TV platform. The new service will include daily clips from The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. Live nightly mobilecasts of The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will be included with the package.

Dylan Walsh: Former Still Standing star Jamie Gertz doesn't have to worry about Walsh rearranging her face while they are in Calgary, Alberta even though the Nip/Tuck star plays her estranged husband in the Lifetime flick Christmas Miracle. He wasn't allowed to carry his surgical equipment across the border. The original movie centers around a father's (Walsh) surprise visit to see his two daughters in Idaho that becomes a nightmare when he talks his wife (Gertz) into a quick snowmobiling trip to the local mountain. A massive blizzard strikes the area and the pair gets stranded in the storm. For the first time in many years, they are forced to work together if they want to survive. Christmas Miracle will premiere in December on Lifetime Television.

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