Developing Stories

Executive Producer Marc Fiore tells us, Lindsay is no longer going to play Victoria Gotti ... but instead will take on the role of John Gotti Jr.'s daughter-in-law Kim -- the role once considered for Kim Kardashian.

The turn of events comes hours after Fiore pulled the plug on Lindsay over disagreements with her management -- but we're told Lindsay REALLY wants to be in the film ... and personally patched things up with the producer when she heard her people were being difficult.

TMZ has learned ... Charlie's lawyer, Mark Gross, will ask L.A. County Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg to allow his client to take full custody of Bob and Max. Gross wants the judge to let Charlie do what other performers are allowed to do -- take their kids with them on the road during the last two weeks of the tour.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, District Attorney Steve Cooley explains, "Evidence concerning the Nation of Islam ... is irrelevant to this case because it does not relate to the defendant's participation in Michael Jackson's death."

But there's a deeper storyline -- Cooley's move is a preemptive strike to keep the defense from trying to make Michael Jackson look like a weirdo ... and an unsympathetic character ... and connecting MJ to the N.O.I. would make him very unsympathetic with a jury.

And Cooley wants to prevent the defense attacking MJ's bodyguard Alberto Alvarez who claims he was ordered by Dr. Murray to hide evidence of Propofol in MJ's bedroom.

TMZ broke the story ... Brooke refused a drug test Friday, which she was required to take as part of her custody settlement with Charlie Sheen.

Sheen's lawyers are going to court on Tuesday to raise the issue, and we're told Brooke's move is a preemptive strike.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Nic was "very drunk" on the streets of N.O. when a cab driver saw him loudly arguing with his wife Alice.

We're told the cabbie called the police and said in addition to the screaming and yelling ... he saw Nic grab her.

We're told the police came and told Nic and his wife to just go home. That's when Nic allegedly told cops, "Why don't you just arrest me?" The cops then reiterated that he and his wife should just go home. Cage then repeated his dare to cops.

At that point, police took Nic into custody and charged him with ...domestic abuse and disturbing the peace.

We're also told Nic's wife is not a complaining witness and does not want him charged -- and says there was no physical contact.

UPDATE 10:27 AM PT -- A bond has been set at $11,000.

UPDATE 11:20 AM PT -- Cage has been released.

TMZ ran into Lucci at The Grove in L.A. on Monday (see above) and when we asked if the show she's starred on for 41 years was on the hot seat, Susan replied, "No truth to that rumor ... not at all."

We spoke to Lucci's daughter, Liza Huber, who told us the soap star only learned about the show's fate on Thursday -- at the same time producers informed the rest of the cast -- and Susan was "upset" by the news.

As we have been reporting, multiple sources tell us Brooke has fallen off the wagon and has been out of control over the last few days. We posted a surveillance video from an Inglewood pawn shop yesterday showing a very jumpy Brooke trying to pawn a watch and a stereo.

Under her custody settlement agreement with Charlie Sheen, Brooke is required to submit to drug testing. A test was scheduled for 6 PM PDT today. We're told the people conducting the test came to her home but Brooke's lawyer -- Ron Rale -- who was present, told them she would not take the test.

Under the settlement, a refusal is considered a dirty test.

Katherine hired Perry Sanders, a big time litigator who, among other things, was pivotal in securing the publishing rights for the proper owners against Master P and the No Limit Records catalog.

Sanders tells TMZ ... he wants to work with MJ Estate lawyer Howard Weitzman to see if they can reach some sort of common ground.

As TMZ first reported, the Estate is already paying Katherine $26,000 a month. In addition, the Estate has paid off the mortgage to the Jackson family home, bought her a car, hired a cook and paid for various vacations and other expenses.

Katherine and her people feel they haven't gotten enough dough, given that the Estate has made hundreds of millions of bucks since Michael's death.

Batali was on his way out of Spago yesterday -- when he dished out some straight talk to our soap-obsessed photog yesterday ... and then added, "I certainly don't want anyone out of a job ... I love everybody that works in the industry."

Batali is hosting a new daytime talk show called, "The Chew" ... which will follow "The View."

Legal pit bull Marty Singer tells TMZ, "There have been discussions as late as Tuesday, and all parties have been involved -- Warner Bros., CBS, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen."

And, Singer says, "Charlie Sheen was recently approached by a third party to resolve this matter." Singer did not identify the third party.

Singer tells TMZ, the Warner Bros. letter -- which we posted earlier on TMZ -- is actually a reaction to a "blistering letter" Singer fired off to WB, claiming Warner Bros. violated its contract with Charlie by refusing to send him an accounting statement and payment in December, 2010. Singer says Warner Bros. owes Charlie money for season 7 and earlier but hasn't anted up.

In the letter, the Warner Bros. lawyer says, "Those statements are false. As you know, there have been no discussions, there are no discussions and there will be no discussions, regarding his returning to or having any involvement with the series."

Charlie said on radio this week ... discussions had been taking place and there was an 85% chance he'd return to the series.

Contrary to what Charlie has been saying, TMZ has been reporting there is no chance of Charlie returning.

"All My Children" has been on the air since 1970 ... and "One Life to Live" debuted in 1968.

The only soap remaining on ABC is "General Hospital."

ABC released a statement saying, "Guided by extensive research into what today’s daytime viewers want and the changing viewing patterns of the audience, ABC is evolving the face of daytime television with the launch of two new shows."

The replacement shows will focus on health and food.

Dr. Conrad Murray crossed the professional line in treating Michael Jackson based on his involvement with three women -- one of whom was a stripper ... this according to new documents filed by prosecutors in his manslaughter case.

According to the docs, Dr. Murray was on the phone with a cocktail waitress whom prosecutors say was his girlfriend ... minutes before the 911 call was made.

Prosecutors say the woman ... Sade Anding, was in Houston where she met Murray while working as a cocktail waitress. Prosecutors say the call proves Murray was paying attention to his girlfriend, and not MJ, during the critical period before Michael's death. And, prosecutors want to admit a $500 check that Murray wrote to Anding "after the two came back from a social outing."

Prosecutors also say Murray had communications with 2 other women on the day Michael died, one of whom is a stripper at Spearmint Rhino Gentleman's Club in Las Vegas. Prosecutors want to admit text messages between Murray and stripper Michelle Bella sent on June 25, 2009 at 8:30 A.M. Prosecutors also want the jury to see a receipt for $1,100 -- showing what Murray paid for at the Spearmint Rhino the day he met Bella.

Kobe continues, "My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. "

He adds, "The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.”

As we previously reported, Kobe mouthed the words, "f**king f**got" towards an NBA referee last night after he was hit with a technical foul.

Angela L. Cohn, the attorney for valet Rockfeller Sorel, tells us, Gloria James spewed the hateful remark just as the confrontation became physical.

Gloria was arrested after the incident, and TMZ just broke the story that the valet is suing her for assault and battery.

As for our earlier story showing video of the confrontation, Cohn says any intimation that the valet was the aggressor is untrue.