The lawyer representing Britney Spears in her child custody battle has dramatically asked to quit due to a "communication breakdown" between himself and the troubled pop princess. Sorrel Trope of family law firm Trope and Trope has worked for Spears since September in her battle against ex-husband Kevin Federline for the custody of their two sons. But relations between the two parties have frayed, with Trope's firm filing papers on Wednesday withdrawing themselves from Spears' case, according to TMZ.com. A representative for the legal team explains: "There has been a breakdown in communications between (Spears) and Trope and Trope making further representation of her interests impossible." As WENN went to press, it remained unclear whether Spears had a new attorney lined up. What is certain, however, is that Trope has a duty to remain with Spears for the time being. He tells People.com, "A lawyer cannot simply withdraw from a case. We will ask the court to relieve us, which will be heard (in court) within a month's time." The next hearing for Spears and Kevin Federline is set for February 19. Trope was Spears's third lawyer in her ongoing custody battle with her ex-husband. Her first attorney, Laura Wasser, resigned from her case in September shortly after Spears's divorce from Federline was finalised. Spears then hired the firm Freid & Goldsman, but fired them within days before bringing Trope on board.

Dreamgirls actor Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds have married in a New Year's Day ceremony. The couple wed on a private island off Bora Bora in French Polynesia in front of 25 friends and family on Tuesday, a spokesman has confirmed to People.com. Murphy, 46, wore a cream suit and vest with an off-white handkerchief while Edmonds, 40, walked barefoot down the aisle to Gladys Knight's hit track "Makings of You." The couple - who have been dating since Autumn 2006 - wed under a gazebo on a special man-made beach constructed of 6,000 shells. After the ceremony, Edmonds gave each of her bridesmaids gold and diamond earrings while Murphy gave his groomsmen designer watches. It is the second marriage for the couple - Murphy divorced Nicole Mitchell in April 2006, while Edmonds ended her marriage to music mogul Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds in October 2005.

Actress Anne Hathaway has reason to smile in 2008 - she's been announced as the new face of Lancome. The Devil Wears Prada beauty, 25, will front a new advertising campaign by the cosmetics giant for a new fragrance which will be launched later this year. A spokesperson for Lancome says of her appointment, "Anne Hathaway is a radiant young woman who perfectly embodies modern femininity. We know she will portray all the passion and excitement of our new fragrance, to be launched throughout the world in September 2008."

Actress Katherine Heigl is planning to quit acting in 2009 so she can start a huge family with new husband Josh Kelley. The couple - who married on December 23 - both want five or six children, and Heigl, 29, is itching to be a mother as soon as possible. The Knocked Up star says, "I'd like to start talking children seriously in the next year, but Josh feels more like two years, so we'll probably do a year and a half. I'm excited about having a big family. I'm talking five or six."

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have abandoned the bed & breakfast hotel they ran for reality show Tori & Dean: Inn Love. The couple has shot two seasons of the show for the Oxygen network - but locals in Fallbrook, California claim they have left for good and the guest house they were leasing has been put up for sale. A neighbor tells the National Enquirer, "Tori and Dean split town for good about a month ago, but it's not like they were ever real neighbors in Fallbrook's sleepy community. They were only ever at the inn when the cameras were rolling for their show."

Actress/singer Ashlee Simpson is sporting a ring on her engagement finger, prompting rumors her rocker boyfriend Pete Wentz proposed over Christmas. The couple spent the holiday at the Simpson family home in Texas before celebrating New Year's Eve in Miami, Florida, where the 23-year-old showed off her latest item of jewelry to photographers. Wentz recently spoke of his love for the singer he has been dating since September 2006, gushing, "I love Ashlee. She's amazing. She's my best friend."

Lindsay Lohan gave the poorest acting performances in 2007, according to a poll of nearly four million British movie-goers. The actress - who was honored for her contribution to the film industry at the Capri Film Festival in Italy on Sunday - was criticized for her performance in thriller I Know Who Killed Me. Eddie Murphy also featured in the AOL Moviefone poll for his role in Norbit, while the film was considered to be the biggest waste of the price of a ticket. Matt Damon was recognized for his good acting in The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean's Thirteen, and Shia LaBeouf was named best newcomer. He also won best screen duo along with Megan Fox for Transformers. The survey, which attracted more than 3.8 million votes, offered users a choice of five nominees in each category.

Pop superstar Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie celebrated the New Year in a remote Indian village, according to reports. The singer, Ritchie and five friends are alleged to have traveled from the Maldives to the historic city of Jodhpur, before driving to an historic hotel in the village of Dechu on New Year's Eve. Madonna's party is reported to have visited Jaisalmer on Tuesday, famous for its sandstone and sand dunes. Local paper the Hindustan Times reports, "The pop star will be in Rajasthan for five to six days." Madonna's security guards are said to have arrived in Jodhpur four days ago, with tight security in place around the hotels and places she is earmarked to visit during her stay.

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney is recovering after undergoing a secret heart operation. The 65-year-old underwent a coronary angioplasty - a procedure to open up arteries, allowing a greater flow of blood to and from the heart - late last year. But the star has made a good recovery - he appeared onstage with singer Kylie Minogue for a televised concert on New Year's Eve. A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Paul had been complaining about not feeling well and saw a Harley Street specialist at The London Clinic. Tests were carried out and the decision was taken to operate. Paul had the angioplasty in a private hospital. It was all very routine but any work on your heart is a big deal." A spokesman for McCartney confirmed the surgery adding, "It was a routine medical operation."

TV host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is to return to talk show The View just weeks after giving birth to her son. The conservative co-host will be back at the table with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd on Monday, ABC announced. Hasselbeck, 30, has been away since October 23. She gave birth to son Taylor Thomas on November 9, her second child with football star husband Tim Hasselbeck. A representative for the network tells People.com, "Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepard joined the show shortly before Elisabeth left, so there wasn't much opportunity for all five co-hosts to interact. Now there will be a new dynamic at the Hot Topics table."