Exclusives

We've learned the hearing scheduled for tomorrow -- to allow Charlie and Brooke to have contact with one another -- has been postponed until Friday.

We're told the delay has nothing to do with the key issue -- modifying the protective order.

We'll be in Aspen, bright and early on Friday.

UPDATE: We're told Brooke Mueller's lawyer told the court Mueller had "a medical issue" and asked that she make the court appearance by phone. The judge denied the lawyer's request but granted the continuance until Friday.

UPDATE: The reason for the postponement -- Brooke underwent surgery for an oral infection.

According to Rachel's lawyer, Gloria Allred, "The media attention was unexpected and unwelcome and for that reason the planned party at a club will not take place."

Interesting, since the invite has been floating around the Internet for days ... wonder how it leaked?

Police cameras near Scottsdale captured drivers speeding while behind the wheel of Fitzgerald's SUV. We're pretty sure cops can't place Larry behind the wheel in 5 of the 6 captures -- because 5 of the photos clearly show drivers who are not black.

It's unclear if Larry was driving the Cadillac Escalade on 11-06-09.

Tickets customarily go to the registered owner of the vehicle, who can then fight it in court. We're thinkin' Larry has a pretty good shot in at least 5 of the cases.

No comment from Larry's camp on whether he'll duke it out in court.

UPDATE: TMZ spoke with Larry's dad who told us, "Larry is handling this on his own."

Conan O'Brien is losing "The Tonight Show" but he'll be getting a $32.5 million consolation prize courtesy of NBC ... sources tell TMZ.

In return, we've learned Conan has agreed to sit on the bench until September. Translation -- he can't host another show until the fall.

In addition to the $32.5 mil, we've learned NBC is also paying severance to Conan's "Tonight Show" employees. In all, we're told NBC's payout is around $40 million.

But Conan probably won't see close to the $32.5 mil. Under the deal, any money Conan makes during the remaining contract period with NBC will offset the network's obligation. So, if Fox were to make a deal with Conan and pay him $25 mil during the NBC contract period, Conan would only score $7.5 mil from NBC.

One well-placed NBC source told us something surprising -- looks like NBC may keep its intellectual property rights. So Conan can't take his creations -- such as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the Masturbating Bear -- to his next gig.

We're told the Conan/NBC deal still isn't completely done, but it's very close.

According to a federal tax lien filed on December 31, 2009 -- the same day Uncle Sam smacked Cage for $6 mil -- Shields and her husband Christopher Henchy owe $4391.70 in unpaid taxes from 2004 and $5932.50 from 2005.

It's unclear as to why it took the government 4 years to clamp down on the couple.

FYI -- In 2005, Shields had a lot on her mind -- that was the year she got into a major media war with Tom Cruise over the use of psychiatric drugs.

Jay Leno just finished his monologue tonight where he addressed the Conan O'Brien situation head-on, saying that in 2004 NBC didn't have faith Jay could remain #1 in the ratings.

Jay explained that NBC execs came to him five years ago and told him they wanted to give "The Tonight Show" to Conan because he was getting other offers. When Jay pointed out he was #1 in the ratings, Jay said the exec told him, "We don't think you can maintain that."

Leno said the network guaranteed him two years on the air. He said the network knew he'd get killed during the main TV season, but thought he'd excel against summer re-runs.

Jay said when the network approached him about doing a half-hour show at 11:35 PM, he was hesitant but said getting beat in the ratings humbled him.

He asked the network exec, "Do you think Conan will go for that?" The exec said yes.

Leno repeatedly complemented Conan, calling him a "gentleman" and saying, "Don't blame Conan O'Brien."

At the end of the day, Leno said, neither of them were delivering the ratings they should have been.

Jeff Conaway from "Grease" was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital today -- and according to his girlfriend, he suffered devastating injuries.

Jeff's girlfriend, Vikki Lizzi, tells TMZ Jeff fell down a staircase this morning at his home and suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a fractured neck and a brain hemorrhage.

The water may have extinguished his fiery red mane -- but dude brought the heat ... his fans went crazy for hours.

One of the sticking points in the negotiations between Conan O'Brien and NBC is a custody battle -- who gets Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and other characters Conan has created over the years ... sources tell TMZ. But we're told Conan will bag the dog, with strings attached.

Sources say Conan and NBC are "close" on his "Tonight Show" exit agreement -- but one of the remaining sticking points is intellectual property. Conan's characters -- like Triumph, the Pimpbot 5000 and the Masturbating Bear -- are all legally the property of NBC (Triumph's rights are a little tricky and may be the property of Conan's longtime friend Robert Smigel).

Conan wants to take them with him wherever he lands -- and we're told NBC will ultimately give Conan the right to his characters, in return for conceding other points in the exit deal.

As for what Conan may have to concede ... we're told the non-disparagement clause is still an issue. Specifically, how long will Conan be prohibited from trashing NBC? Conan may have to fold on this point in order to walk the dog.

Bottom line -- looks like the Masturbating Bear will live to self-gratify another day.

Sources connected to Conan O'Brien tell TMZ NBC honcho Jeff Zucker has been "nasty, arrogant and threatening" in negotiating Conan's out. The Conan people are outraged, saying the blame for the Jay Leno/'ConanO'Brien/"Tonight Show" debacle falls squarely at Zucker's doorstep.

An NBC spokesperson tells TMZ, as for claims Zucker has been nasty, arrogant and threatening, "There is absolutely no truth to that. It is easy to make false statements under the cloak of anonymity."

We're told Conan is so pissed off at NBC, he told the network he was leaving even though he still doesn't have a place to go -- at least not yet. Sources say Fox still has not made an offer.

An NBC source connected to the negotiations tells TMZ Conan "has acted like a baby" since the network announced the changes. The source claims NBC made $25 mil in profits off "The Tonight Show" the last full calendar year Leno hosted. The source says the projected loss for 2010 had Conan stayed put was $3 - 5 million. So NBC says it's simple math.

We're told the NBC/Conan deal still isn't finalized.

La Toya Jackson is next in line to fill Simon Cowell's shoes on "American Idol" -- that's if La Toya Jackson has anything to do with it.

We're told MJ's sister and former "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe cozied up at a housewarming party for Kathy Hilton in Bel Air recently -- before Simon broke his big news -- and the topic came up of La Toya possibly guest-judging on the show.

But now that Simon's out of the picture, La Toya wants more.

We spoke to her and she tells TMZ: "I would LOVE to be a judge on 'American Idol.' I would love to have a chance for the public get to know the real me. I would be thrilled."

In other news: there's a "real" La Toya Jackson.

The strict Catholic procured the services of a chauffeur-driven limousine, just in case.

Joshua Malina from "The West Wing" has no problem with a firehouse in his neighborhood -- but he's a little nervous about plans to turn it into a makeshift prison. Can ya blame him?

Malibu is considering a plan to have Fire Camp 8 house 80-100 inmates in the near future. Malina tells TMZ he found out about the plan on Saturday after he found a flier taped to his mailbox. We're guessing it goes something like this: "Dear resident, Have you have ever wanted to live near a bunch of convicted felons? Well now's your chance!"

But seriously ... Malina tells TMZ, "The fire camp is a quarter of a mile from my home. My kids and their friends bike, skateboard, run, and play here. That will all change if a jail opens in our midst. It is deeply disturbing to think that such an extreme decision would be made without any interaction with the residents here."

Former TV exec Fred Silverman was quoted this weekend saying the "Tonight Show" shakeup was "a corporate embarrassment" and that moving Leno back to 11:35 PM was a "Mickey Mouse scheme."

But TMZ has obtained an email sent by Silverman in 2008 to two top NBC execs in which Fred seemingly concocts the entire plan of moving Jay to 10:00 PM. He pitches the idea as, "Here's a way to solve your Jay Leno problem, improve your primetime ratings, save untold development costs and make a gazillion dollars at the same time." Did any of those things actually happen?

For all you TV newbies -- Fred Silverman is the only person to have ever been in charge of programming at three different networks. He was a legend at CBS and ABC ... but, ironically enough, failed miserably at NBC with such memorable disasters as "Supertrain" and "Hello, Larry."

It's one thing to play Monday Morning Quarterback, but it's a whole other thing when you called the plays.

TMZ spoke with a rep for A&E, who confirmed the offer and told us the network would gladly have MJ's male siblings back for another round of "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" -- which airs its last episode this Sunday.

But there's one problem: we're told the brothers haven't responded to the offer yet.

It's unclear why the brothers wouldn't jump at the chance for a paycheck ... but then again, it's the Jacksons ... so nothing is ever as it seems.

The time Kobe Bryant's father spent in the WNBA is proving to be more costly than he thought -- he's accused of stiffing the lawyers who repped him when he got fired from coaching the L.A. Sparks.

TMZ obtained a lawsuit filed in L.A. County Superior Court -- in which the Russ August & Kabat law firm claim Joe "Jellybean" Bryant never forked over the $76,520.78 he owes for the work the firm did during Jellybean's "dispute with the Los Angeles Sparks" back in 2007.

The law firm is suing for the cash -- plus interest.

Meanwhile, Jellybean's kid makes roughly $259,000 per game -- probably enough to spare a loan.