Entertainment Briefs for July 24, 2010

Costner dismisses promoter lawsuit

LOS ANGELES - Court records show Kevin Costner has dismissed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against a music promoter he claimed failed to back his music career.

Court records in Los Angeles show the lawsuit against Mahee Worldwide Ventures Inc. was dismissed last week. The filings do not offer any additional details and an attorney for Costner and the company did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

The 55-year-old actor-director sued in April 2007, claiming Mahee reneged on a deal to book the Kevin Costner Band for as many as five shows a year and maintain a marketing Web site.

The case had been long-delayed because Mahee filed for bankruptcy. Mahee's bankruptcy attorney did not return an e-mail message seeking comment.

Campbell to testify at trial

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone - The chief prosecutor of the war crimes tribunal for Sierra Leone says Naomi Campbell will testify next month at Charles Taylor's trial.

Prosecutors want the supermodel to say whether Taylor gave her a rough, or uncut, diamond as a gift in 1997.

The court issued the order forcing Campbell to testify after she avoided prosecutors for a year and made it known she had no wish to be part of the case.

Prosecutor Brenda Hollis said Thursday that Campbell will testify on Aug. 5 instead of July 29 as previously scheduled.

Taylor, the former president of Liberia, denies prosecutors' allegations that he provided arms and ammunition to brutal rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war in exchange for so-called blood diamonds.

Pitt, Jolie settle privacy claim

LONDON - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie accepted undisclosed damages Thursday in London's High Court to settle a privacy claim against a British tabloid that had reported they were planning to split.

The celebrity couple began legal action against the News of the World after it reported in January that they had agreed to separate. The pair argued the newspaper had made false and intrusive allegations in saying that they had planned to divide assets worth 205 million pounds ($320 million) and had made arrangements regarding the custody of their six children.

"When the News of the World failed to publicly retract the allegations and apologize for them - thereby leaving their readers in the dark as to the true position - the couple felt they had no alternative than to sue," the couple's attorney, Keith Schilling, said in a statement. "Today's victory marks the end of the litigation brought by Brad and Angelina."

The newspaper confirmed that a settlement had been reached, but declined to comment further.

The movie star couple did not attend the hearing.