Gossip / Rumors

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore spent some quality time TOGETHER in Santa Barbara this weekend ... during a quick camping trip in Santa Barbara with a few of their close friends.

Amidst a tornado of divorce rumors, the couple tried to escape to Cachuma Lake on Sunday ... joined by their Kabbalah instructor Yehuda Berg and Ashton's friend Eric Buterbaugh.

During the trip the gang was seen chatting beside the campfire. The very next day, the all got in their cars and went their separate ways.

Monday, Ashton fired off a few tweets about his wife, saying, "Big night for TV #twoandahalfmen Bears vs Lions and @mrskutcher's 5. My tivo might explode."

He later congratulated Demi on her TV movie, writing, "@mrskutcher good luck tonight! you should be proud."

Just two days before the camping trip, the couple was reportedly spotted together at Kabalah center in L.A. to celebrate Yom Kippur -- the Jewish day of atonement.

Chris Brown says his criminal record played NO ROLE in why he couldn't perform at the massive Michael Jackson tribute in Wales this weekend -- claiming widespread reports that he was "banned" are simply false.

TMZ spoke with Brown's rep, who tells us Chris WAS invited to perform in the show, "however, his previously booked domestic F.A.M.E. tour concert dates didn’t allow him to accept the honor and therefore he never planned to go to the UK. He was not banned."

Nancy Grace has a new excuse for the mystery fart on "Dancing With the Stars" this week ... she's pinning it on her partner, Tristan MacManus.

As the old saying goes ... the one who denied it, supplied it.

Mehcad Brooks might be the next George Clooney ... maybe ... because the "True Blood" star had a romantic dinner with Clooney's ex Elisabetta Canalis this week ... and TMZ has the video to prove it!

The two dined at STK steakhouse in L.A. -- and after what seems like a date, they BOTH left in Mehcad's SUV.

Before Brooks and Elisabetta drove off together, we asked Mehcad, "How did you guys meet?" He cracked a big, GUILTY smile ... and joked, "We didn't meet ... I have no clue what you're talking about."

So, we gotta ask ...

Sarah Palin just announced she's not running for President of the United States.

She made the announcement via a statement to Mark Levin, a conservative radio talk show host.

Palin said, "After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States."

BREAKING WIND NEWS -- Nancy Grace claims she's been FRAMED in the "Dancing with the Stars" fart mystery ... and tells TMZ an "investigation" is underway to find out who REALLY dealt it.

Grace -- who was doing a post-dance interview on the show last night when someone let it rip -- tells us, "As an ear witness on the scene, I can absolutely exonerate Tristan, myself and Brooke."

Nancy Grace definitely cut a rug on "Dancing with the Stars" last night ... but did she also cut the cheese???

Listen closely to the clip of Nancy yakking with Brooke Burke after she waltzed to "Moon River." You'll hear what sounds like a fart escaping from someone. As far as we can tell, there are only three possible culprits.

So we ask ...

Everyone's favorite teenage bride, Courtney Stodden, is tired of hearing rumors she's had work done -- so she took to the beach yesterday with her 51-year-old husband, Doug Hutchison, to pose for a series of pics and prove her doubters wrong.

Bud Holmes, longtime agent of NFL legend Walter Payton, says his comments in the new book about Payton were taken out of context ... and that the man known as Sweetness was not a drug addict.

In a soon-to-be published book entitled "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton," author Jeff Pearlman claims sources told him Payton took a cocktail of Tylenol and Vicodin and kept tanks of nitrous oxide in his garage. He also alleged Payton was suicidal.

In excerpts that were released this week, Holmes is quoted as saying, "Walter was pounding his body with medication."

But Holmes tells TMZ, “[Payton] was not hooked on drugs. He wasn’t an addict. He didn’t abuse drugs or use illegal drugs."

Holmes insists he never meant to imply that Payton abused pain medication and was simply talking about pills that "were only used to alleviate the aches and pains he got from playing the game we watch on Sundays."

Holmes says he never knew Payton to use nitrous oxide, Vicodin or Ritalin, as the book claims.

Fear, betrayal ... and a $119 paternity test ... the key elements to a real life soap opera involving the dude who plays the devilishly handsome Chance on "The Young & The Restless."

Soap opera stud John Driscoll has filed for a restraining order against a 27-year-old female fan ... who allegedly concocted terrible lies about the actor that nearly destroyed his relationship with his fiancée ... and jeopardized his career.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Driscoll claims the fan began telling people she had multiple sexual encounters with John ... and he even fathered her child. The "rumors" allegedly spiraled out of control -- so John resorted to drastic measures.

John claims, "To silence these rumors, to gain credit back from both colleagues and family, I willingly took and paid for the lab testing on a paternity test which knowingly came back negative with a 0% match."

According to the docs, John believes the woman "clearly is not rational" -- and fears she will harm either himself or his fiancee. John wants a judge to keep her at least 500 yards away at all times PLUS he wants her to pay him back for the $119 paternity test.

Ashton Kutcher's anniversary celebration sans Demi Moore was no big deal -- and to prove it, Ashton ventured out near a Hollywood motorcycle dealer yesterday ... proudly displaying his wedding ring.

Silver lining.

TMZ has obtained photos of Ashton Kutcher partying his face off on his 6th wedding anniversary last weekend -- problem is ... Demi Moore was 3,000 miles away.

Sources tell us, Ashton -- who married Demi on September 24th, 2005 -- was burning the midnight oil at FLUXX nightclub in San Diego early Saturday morning ... while Demi promoted her new Lifetime movie in New York.

But they're Ashton and Demi -- plenty of couples spend their anniversaries apart ... partying ... with strangers ... right?

George Clooney is doing something he almost never does -- commenting about a report on his romantic life ... in particular, one that claims his ex-gf sent him angry text messages about his new gf.

The report in the current issue of US Weekly ... claims Elisabetta Canalis fired off a series of angry texts to George when she found out he was dating Stacy Keibler.

But George tells TMZ, the story "was completely fabricated in order to sell magazines. I never comment on my personal life unless it affects others...and this lie affects others."

The Lindsay Lohan sexuality meter is leaning towards "MEN" again ... because last night, she was spotted in a lip lock with a DUDE in a funky jacket.

The guy is actually fashion designer Philipp Plein -- and while he and Lindsay are getting pretty close lately, we're told the two are NOT dating ... for the time being.

Bristol Palin's run-in with a heckler was set up by the producer's of her reality show -- at least that's what her co-star Kyle Massey thinks ... this according to sources close to Massey.

Palin got into it with a guy named Stephen Hanks at a bar on the Sunset Strip Thursday night. Hanks told us it was NOT a setup, but we're told Massey doesn't buy it.

According to our sources, Massey -- who is starring with Bristol in a reality show for the BIO Channel -- feels it was a little too convenient that so many cameras were there to catch the confrontation.

Our sources say Massey feels the producers of the show were behind it all, but that Bristol had NO part in it. We're told Kyle feels that Bristol would never have agreed to something like that and that Bristol has been nothing but genuine and honest with Kyle so far.

According to our sources, Massey is not happy with the direction the show has taken. We're told Massey feels the show is now "sleazy" and thought he was signing on for a scripted show ... and not a reality show.

The January Jones baby daddy mystery continues ... because the actress left a big, fat BLANK SPOT on her son's birth certificate in the space where she's supposed to name the father.

TMZ obtained the document, filed Friday with the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health, which shows January's son, Xander Dane Jones, was born on Sept. 13, 2011.

Several famous studs have been rumored to be the father -- including "SNL" star Jason Sudeikis, super chef Bobby Flay, "X-Men" director Matthew Vaughn ... and "Seeking Justice" co-star Xander Berkeley.

So far, mom continues to remain mum.