Breaking off an engagement SUCKS ... especially when the breaker-offer REFUSES to return the $90,000 engagement ring ... this according to a big actor who has sued his ex-fiancee.

For some reason, the lawyer repping the actor has filed the lawsuit under the fictitious name, John Doe. The actor is suing Lisa Ragland -- claiming she broke off their engagement in 2003 but REFUSED to return the $90,000 engagement ring.

Sources connected to the case tell us "John Doe" is not Ian Ziering, who was also engaged to  Ragland around the same time. Our sources tell us ... it's a "huge actor."

According to the lawsuit, after Ragland called off the engagement, she told the actor she lost the ring ... and he believed her.

That is, until 2010 ... when she fessed up and admitted she had the ring all along. So now Doe is suing her for either return of the ring or its full cash value.

Here's the deal -- under California law, if an engagement is called off, the guy always gets the ring back ... and it doesn't matter who broke it off. The ring is considered a "gift in contemplation of marriage" ... so if the marriage doesn't take place, the ring goes back.

Stay tuned.

Manicured former child star Joey Lawrence, 34, and former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Ian Ziering, 46, compared beauty secrets at the same event in Beverly Hills this weekend.


Question is ...

Is Ian Ziering still in high school?



Here's the 28-year-old back in 1992 when he played a high school student on "Beverly Hills, 90210"(left) -- and 18 years later, the 46-year-old at an event in Hollywood on Thursday (right).

He definitely graduated with honors.

Ian Ziering and a couple of schlubby buds tried to push their luck last night at a Hollywood hot spot -- and got totally denied!


If you RSVP +1, don't show up with +2 ... unless they're both hot chicks.

It's been raining for over a week in Los Angeles -- but some stars didn't get the memo. Our cameras caught quite a few celebs, including a half-naked Brooke Hogan, whose accessories for the evening didn't include an umbrella ella ella.

Luckily, you can always count on a valet to save the day -- or just use your purse like Hilary Duff.

"Dancing with the Stars" loser Ian Ziering is a couple of inner thigh calluses away from starring in "Wild Hogs 2: Worse than the First."

The 43-year-old polka-pusher left Les Deux last night and hopped on his monstrous motorcycle, which looks as though it might be a prop from Michael Bay's next "Transformers" flick. More than meets the Ian!


Lucky for Ziering, the big-time Sturgis Motorcycle Ralley is a year away, plenty of time to grow a road worthy mullet.

Legendary SNL-er Chevy Chase soaked up the spotlight outside of Koi last night. He noted that while the attention never gets old, "I do."

Samantha Ronson hung out in front of Hyde, talkin' about her DJ career and her Myspace profile. Sam's very popular on the interweb – she's got more than 20,000 friends on the 'Space.

Les Deux was tres busy, with Ian Ziering, Josh Henderson and Kevin Connolly hanging hard.

And Wilmer Valderrama, a long way from his days as Fez, was rolling semi-incognito under a scruffy face and porkpie hat at new L.A. hotspot Opera.

With beau Tony Parker taking a break during the NBA Playoffs, Eva Longoria hit up Parc for dinner with friends last night. As she waited for her Beemer at the valet, our cameraman asked, "Are you excited about Tony going to the Finals?" To which Eva simply muttered, "Yes." Well she sure doesn't sound excited!

Paris Hilton, meanwhile, could barely make her way to an SUV waiting to whisk her away, what with all the photogs camped outside. The walk to the yard figures to be a lot calmer.

Over at Les Deux, we spotted "Dancing With the Stars" star Ian Ziering making the walk back to his ride all by his lonesome. He was tight-lipped about his upcoming vacation plans, but did say they included some motorcycle riding.

The night also included Ricki Lake, Jorge Garcia and Traci Bingham at a charity poker tournament -- which Jorge took down.

All that and more in today's Full Moon edition of Star Catcher!

Britney's 11-minute concert wasn't the only party in Hollywood last night.

Professional socialites Tara Reid, Kim Kardashian and Caroline D'Amore glammed it up for 944 Magazine's One-Year Anniversary Party at Stoli Hotel. The ladies were lookin' good, attracting quite a random group of men -- including Ian Ziering, Ken Davitian and "Sons of Hollywood" Dave Weintraub with one of his clients, Royal Dollar Records CEO Faysal.

TMZ also spotted two of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends outside Mr. Chow, the lovely Bridget and Kendra.

Across the country in New York we also caught "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman, Zach Braff, Petra Nemcova and Serena Williams.

All this and more in today's everyone-but-Britney edition of Star Catcher.

Cheryl Burke celebrated her 23rd birthday-- with all her "Dancing with the Stars" peeps in tow.

Though her actual b-day isn't until the 3rd, Burke partied last night at Parc with cast members of her booty-shaking show. Past partner Drew Lachey and current partner Ian Ziering showed up to party -- Ziering pulling away in a ridiculously gigantic Gold Wing motorcycle. Where's the Jacuzzi?

Matthew Lawrence played the perfect boyfriend, carrying Cheryl's gifts to the car -- his little brother Andrew wasn't as camera-friendly.

Joey Fatone, who stood on one hand on the show last night, and Alfonso Ribeiro -- who tasted reality infamy with "Celebrity Duets" -- were spotted joking around outside the club before making their way in, where TMZ caught Burke partying with lippy Lisa Rinna and NY Giant Michael Strahan.

Ian Ziering is dancing his way into our living rooms every week, but the former 90210ian won't be flashing his privates in the pages of Playgirl.

In Touch claimed that Ziering had been offered a tantalizing $100,000 to drop his leotard for the peep rag.

TMZ contacted a Playgirl rep who, when asked about the reports, informed us, "Uhhhh, that would be a big NO. Playgirl doesn't have that kind of budget to play with." Playgirl without something to play with?

So there you have it. If you wanna see more of Ziering getting sweaty, you'll have watch "Dancing with the Stars," if you can stand it. Or just stick to reruns of 90210!