Actor Brock Peters, best known for his role as Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird, died Tuesday in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer; he was 78. According to reports, he had been diagnosed with the disease in January and had been receiving chemotherapy treatments, and the actor passed away at his home surrounded by family. An actor with a distinctive, authoritarian baritone who worked extensively in films, television and on the stage, Peters made his film debut in the lush melodrama Carmen Jones, an re-imagining of Bizet's Carmen starring Dorothy Dandridge, and appeared five years later in another musical adaptation, Porgy and Bess. In 1962, Peters took the role of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, and during filming was befriended by star Gregory Peck; in fact, Peters read the eulogy at Peck's funeral in 2003. His magnetic and heartbreaking performance in Mockingbird led to roles in The L-Shaped Room and The Pawnbroker, and though he rarely achieved leading man status, Peters worked steadily throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s in both movies and TV, and received a Tony nomination in 1973 for Lost in the Stars. He appeared in thrillers Soylent Green and Two-Minute Warning, miniseries Roots: The Next Generation, and innumerable guest spots on television series ranging from Gunsmoke to The Bionic Woman. To a later generation of fans, Peters was known for two different Star Trek roles, playing Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as well as a recurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Joseph Sisko, the father of star Avery Brooks' character. In 1991, Peters received a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild. Peters is survived by his longtime companion Marilyn Darby and a daughter from his first marriage. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have unofficially ended their marriage, according to leaked legal papers. Certain legal matters are still to be settled but the couple's marriage was terminated last Friday in Los Angeles. The "marital partnership" ends officially on October 2, six months after Aniston served divorce papers. In legal papers obtained by US news show Extra, the "judgment of dissolution is entered. Marital or domestic partnership status is terminated and the parties are restored to the status of single persons." According to the papers, neither party has asked for alimony and the Beverly Hills, California mansion they renovated and once shared is up for sale.

Scarlett Johansson's claims of getting caught up in a traffic accident while trying to escape the paparazzi have been challenged by a photographer who witnessed the crash. Just hours after her Friday accident, reports emerged that the Lost In Translation beauty was driving into the entrance of California's Disneyland, when she swerved to get away from pursuing photographers and hit another vehicle. But JFX Images photographer Mario Toruno, who was pursuing the actress at the time, questions whether she was even aware of photographers tailing her before the accident, because they kept a low profile, using cars in front of them as cover. Toruno, who saw the accident unfold as he sat at stoplights nearby, says, "When she was driving in to the parking lot, she was going very, very slow - maybe about 15 miles per hour - and she started veering to the left. It was almost like when you drop something on the car floor and you try to pick it up. Or she could've been busy talking with the two friends she had in her car. I couldn't see what was going on inside of the car, but from the outside I could see that she wasn't at all being chased when she hit the other lady's car. The parking lot is confusing because it's very busy, so maybe she was unsure of whether she wanted to turn left or right. I'm guessing that because she veered to the left, she was unable to see the other car - the only other vehicle at the parking lot entrance at that time - from her blindside. That's when she slowly slammed into the other car. The nearest cars to them at the time of the accident were at least 40 yards away, and none of them contained paparazzi. It was just regular oncoming traffic. I know, because there was another set of photographers that with the traffic at the stoplights. I'm sure Disneyland has video cameras at its entrance to prove that this is what happened. To be honest, we'd have been happier snapping pictures of Scarlett on the rides with her friends. We never in a million years thought we'd end up taking shots of a road accident, and obviously that's not what we set out to do. We were as surprised as everyone else, because everything was in such a slow motion when the cars hit each other."

Joaquin Phoenix has slammed reports he suffered a breakdown during the filming of Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line when a scene triggered the painful memory of his brother's death 12 years ago. The Gladiator star was playing a scene in which Cash recalled the death of his older brother Jack, who died in a horrific wood-saw accident aged 14. Phoenix's brother River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in 1993 outside Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room. The 30-year-old actor reportedly broke down and repeatedly banging his head into a bedpost during the filming and was taken away in an ambulance. But Phoenix denies reports he was affected by the scene, and insists he was just getting into the mood of his character - a young Johnny Cash going through drug withdrawal. Phoenix tells the New York Daily News, "That's not the way my brain works. You know, the press has kind of imposed upon me the title of 'Mourning Brother', and because I haven't been vocal about it, the assumption is that I'm holding on to it and all this s**t that's just not there. I don't need to pull from my experience for a character, and I've never understood why actors would, except for lack of ability, imagination or research. I had all three things, so this is a little frustrating to me, because it denies my work and the research that I did." The biopic movie - in which Phoenix stars alongside Reese Witherspoon - is due to hit screens this November.

The father of hospitalized actress Natasha Lyonne is taking legal action against the Beth Israel Hospital after an employee leaked information about his daughter's critical condition. The American Pie star is reportedly fighting for her life in the New York City hospital's intensive care unit, after being diagnosed with hepatitis C, a heart infection and a collapsed lung. According to the New York Daily News, her father Aaron Braunstein is planning to sue the hospital for $180 million after an article appeared in the New York Post detailing the 26-year-old actress' medical condition and alleged methadone therapy. Braunstein says, "They broke the patient-doctor confidentiality rule. It's my child, my little girl. Why would someone do something like that? Be sure the hospital is going to be sued. Natasha's basically a very kind, sensitive person. A lot of the stuff you see there is camouflage. It was a persona, her character."

Troubled rocker Courtney Love has slammed reports she is expecting English comedian Steve Coogan's baby, declaring their relationship is purely platonic. On Sunday, British newspaper News Of The World claimed Love had told the publication she is pregnant after a two-week affair with the funnyman in Los Angeles. The paper claimed Love had said, "Yes, I am pregnant with Steve's baby, but I'd rather not talk about our relationship." However, the 41-year-old singer has released an official statement through her management company, Sanctuary Artist Management, denying she is pregnant. The statement says, "Courtney Love wishes to make it clear that she denies recent stories suggesting she is pregnant or has had a relationship with Steve Coogan. She confirms that she and Steve are good friends and have met a few times in Los Angeles." Yesterday, I'm Alan Partridge star Coogan's spokesperson said, "He is astonished by this. It is ridiculous." Love was admitted to rehabilitation for her ongoing drug problem last Week after she admitted to a Los Angeles judge she had violated her probation for three separate cases.

Australian singer Olivia Newton-John has broken her silence over the disappearance of long-term love Patrick McDermott two months ago, appealing for anyone with information to step forward. The Grease star, 56, is concerned about the whereabouts of her American partner of nine years, who was last seen on an overnight fishing expedition off California's San Pedro coastline between June 30 and July 1. On Sunday the California Coast Guard put out a statement about McDermott's disappearance, saying, "We haven't really determined what happened to Mr. McDermott and so we can't really say that he disappeared from that vessel." In a statement released Monday, Newton-John says, "I'm hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I'm grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much. I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward." The singer/actress' spokesman Gavin De Becker added the star was in "close and frequent contact" with McDermott's relatives and friends.

Australian actor Heath Ledger has taken to throwing eggs at the paparazzi when he catches them staking him out. The screen hunk is particularly annoyed by the presence of photographers when he's relaxing with his friends and relatives, so he now attacks them with eggs whenever he has any to hand. He says, "I've thrown an egg. Not at them just kind of next to them so it splatters up against them. That's how pathetic it is. That's what we're reduced to. You can't actually stand up and slap them. When they kind of spy in on you and you're trying to like bathe out in the sun, and you're with your girlfriend and your friends and your family... it actually feels like you're getting a slap across the face. And we can't physically stand up and hit them back, of course, it would be rude and against the law. So you just get an egg."

Former smoker Mena Suvari is now so anti-tobacco she has agreed to front a new campaigned aimed at urging young women to quit. The American Beauty star has signed up as a spokeswoman for anti-smoking charity Circle Of Friends, which offers help to those desperately trying to turn their backs on cigarettes. Suvari admits she started smoking when she was a teenager, but she was able to kick the habit with the help of family and friends - and then the loss of a relative to a smoking-related illness prompted her to be more active. She says, "One of the things you learn being in the public eye is that you have the ability to raise awareness about serious issues, and, in the process, really help people. I've chosen to get the word out to women, especially young women, that tobacco is not glamorous - it's addictive and smoking takes a serious toll on your health."

Actor Charlie Sheen has ended weeks of speculation about the state of his marriage to former Bond girl Denise Richards by admitting a reconciliation is "possible". Richards shocked Hollywood when she filed for divorce from Sheen in March, but the couple have reportedly been attending counseling sessions for the past two months with a view to giving their marriage a second chance. Now, in an interview with US news show Extra, which aired Monday, Sheen reveals, "There's always a chance for that (reconciliation) as long as two people are still in the game... I mean alive - that's in the game in my world." But Sheen admits he has been told not to divulge too much about his relationship with his estranged wife, adding, "I told her I'm doing this interview and she had asked me not to reveal too much. We agreed on me saying things were bad, obviously, and things are a whole lot better, and I think with that is hope and whatever the future might deliver, we both embrace... We're not ruling anything out. We're both just trying to be the best parents we can, the best friends we can." On the tabloid scrutiny about his marriage, Sheen admits he never took comments about his drinking binges and womanizing too seriously. He adds, "I always thought they were talking about my character (in TV series Two & A Half Men) - drugs, women and gambling... 'Oh, wait, it's me!' It's interesting because the misconception is that a celebrity marriage - the problems and issues - are of some epic proportions and they're really not. It's just life. People forget that there's real human beings involved with children, and feelings and hearts at stake."

Rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg often has a tough time getting his friends to enjoy his movies, because many of them only appreciate his work when it includes violence and nude women. Wahlberg, who admits a number of his friends are former convicts, is frustrated his pals ignore his tamer movies like I Heart Huckabees. He says, "Imagine all my friends watching I Heart Huckabees. They're like, 'It's pretty cool when you punch that guy in the face, but the rest of it, who gives a f**k?' How am I going to explain an existential comedy to my buddy who just got out of jail? He wants to see t*ts and a*s and some heads being busted."