Comedienne Ellen DeGeneres has hit out at homophobic people while presenting her talk show - because she has been deeply affected by the murder of teenager Lawrence King. The openly gay star was close to tears on Thursday's show as she told viewers about the death of the 15-year-old, who was shot in the head at the E.O. Green School in Oxnard, California, on February 12 - reportedly for being a homosexual. King's killer, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, apparently targeted the student because he asked him to be his date for Valentine's Day. DeGeneres says, "Larry was not a second class citizen and I am not a second class citizen. It's OK to be gay." It's possible that McInerney - who has been charged with murder and the commission of a hate crime - will be tried as an adult, which means he could face 50 years to life in prison if convicted.

Two doctors investigated over Heath Ledger's drug overdose death have been cleared by U.S. officials. Medics in Los Angeles and Houston, Texas were probed over the prescription painkillers that contributed to the Brokeback Mountain actor's death last month, at the age of 28. But the Drug Enforcement Agency has discovered that the doctors in question had prescribed Ledger other medications - not the pills that killed him. The Australian actor was found dead in his New York apartment having accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety pills.

Actresses Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen are adding authors to their list of talents - the twins are releasing a coffee table book about their fashion inspirations. The 21-year-old siblings are penning a text entitled Influence, which will detail their favorite style icons and the people behind them, including shoe designer Christian Louboutin, actress Lauren Hutton, photographer Terry Richardson and writer Bob Colacello. In a statement, Ashley says the book will feature "the most interesting, challenging, creative people we know - the ones who helped pave the way for us and our generation." Mary-Kate adds, "Ashley and I interviewed the people who have inspired us, with the hope that they will inspire and teach others."

Veteran actress Kathleen Turner has sparked fears for her health after reportedly collapsing at a rehearsal for the off-Broadway, New York stage show she's directing. The Peggy Sue Got Married star, 53, stunned the cast and crew of play Crimes Of The Heart when she passed out mid-scene at the Laura Pels Theatre, according to the New York Daily News. A source says, "She had to be helped home." Turner suffered with alcohol abuse in the past before entering rehab after passing out drunk on stage during a 2002 Broadway performance of The Graduate. However, a theater source has quashed concerns Turner has returned to the bottle during rehearsals for Crimes Of The Heart, insisting, "I've never seen her drink at theater." Turner has won high critical praise for her direction of the southern drama about the funny/sad relationships among sisters, which stars Sarah Paulson and Jennifer Dundas.

Socialite Paris Hilton has defended herself against criticism of her extensive pet collection, insisting she only owns 17 dogs because they keep breeding. The Simple Life star is currently at the centre of a new Los Angeles Department of Animal Services investigation after recently boasting about her pooches on Ellen DeGeneres' TV talk show. But Hilton claims her brood keeps growing because she doesn't want to separate newborn pups from their parents. She says, "They keep having babies and I feel bad to give them away because I feel like, if I had a baby and someone gave it away it would be mean."

Screenwriter Diablo Cody is planning a new tattoo to celebrate her Oscar win on Sunday. The bodyart-loving former stripper picked up the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for Juno - and wants to have the film's star Ellen Page's face etched onto her skin, according to pals. A friend tells New York gossip column PageSix.com: "She's talking about getting a tattoo of Ellen Page's face. She's like, 'Wouldn't it look great?'"

Oscar winner Halle Berry is set to add fragrance mogul to her resume - after signing a deal to lend her name to a range of perfumes for cosmetic giant Coty. The Monster's Ball star joins a host of stars including Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwen Stefani, who have previously developed fragrances for the beauty giant. Berry will develop a 'fragrance portfolio' for the company, and will appear in Coty's advertising campaigns for the forthcoming products. Steve Mormoris, of Coty, says, "Halle is an iconic actress and symbolizes beauty to many generations. She adds another dimension to the celebrity fragrance market. Halle has always been a little more mysterious, not quite as open with her personal life as some other stars. Her fragrances will allow her to present another facet of her personality to her fans." The range will hit stores around the world in 2009.

Sigourney Weaver is set to become a New York theater owner after agreeing a deal with city and state officials to create a three stage drama space Downtown. The Aliens star and her director husband Jim Simpson have been trying to launch their The Flea theater project for years, but have come up against financial and leasing issues. Weaver says, "We are in the process of buying a new space because we weren't allowed to buy our old space by the landlord. The city and state have given us some money to purchase a site, where we'll actually have three theatres. It's really exciting and I would've loved a place like that when I first came to New York. We had to work in these strange places in Hell's Kitchen, where we just ran like hell through Times Square to these really weird places where the audience was afraid to come anyway because there were no bathrooms and the walls were all moldy."

Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is thrilled his "I drink your milkshake" line from There Will Be Blood has become part of popular culture. The internet has been inundated with parodies and imitations and U.S. satirical show Saturday Night Live poked fun at the actor and his phrase on Saturday. Day-Lewis, who won his Best Actor prize last Sunday for his role as Daniel Plainview, insists he doesn't mind being a figure of fun. He says, "If people absorb something you've done... and people can make something else out of it, that's delightful to me. I come from two cultures - England and Ireland - where there's a long tradition of... we call it slagging in Ireland, taking the piss in England, and if you can offer up something that people can slag you for, they're always grateful for that." Day-Lewis admits he had no idea the milkshake line would become a hit, but he was thrilled when he read it in the script. He adds, "It made a great impression on me."

Actress Gillian Anderson has found it tough reprising her most famous role for the forthcoming The X-Files movie. The star played F.B.I agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi TV series until it finished in 2002, and admits having a six-year break from the character has been difficult to deal with. She says, "I expected to get back into Scully like flipping on a light switch but it's taken a lot more effort." The as-yet-unnamed film - a follow-up to the series' first big-screen outing in 1998 - is slated for release later this year.