People in the News

MARSHALL, Texas -- Actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry testified in a copyright infringement lawsuit Wednesday that he did not steal material from a woman's play for his blockbuster movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Donna West is suing Perry in federal court, arguing that he lifted material from a script she wrote titled "Fantasy of a Black Woman," which was based primarily on her own experiences. She wants a jury to award her family all the profits made from Perry's 2005 film, which earned some $50 million.

Perry insisted that his screenplay is an original work, but under questioning by West's attorney, said he did not know whether anyone actually saw him write the script, The Marshall News Messenger reported for its Thursday editions.

Perry's attorney said his client doesn't have an original copy of his script because he sends all his work to the Library of Congress for a copyright.

Jurors on Tuesday watched the film and listened to a reading of the script from West's play which was performed in 1991 at the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters at the Dallas Convention Center.

L.D. Dabney, an associate of West and a theater arts enthusiast of the Dallas area, testified earlier Wednesday that when he first saw Perry's film in July 2006, he thought it was based on West's play because he knew what was going to happen from one scene to the next.

Testimony was expected to resume Thursday.

Kid Rock upset at

Georgia judge's ruling

LOS ANGELES -- Kid Rock is upset that he can't pick the good deed that will serve as his punishment for a brawl at a Georgia Waffle House.

In a post on his Web site, the rocker blasts a judge for denying his request to serve his 80 hours of community service by performing for U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East.

"Apparently he thinks it's more important that I do something else rather than sing, shake hands, take pictures and spend time with the men and women who put themselves in harms (sic) way to protect the very freedom he and all of us live by," the singer wrote in a holiday message posted on his site.

Country star Alan Jackson honored with CMT special

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A veteran star being saluted by a bunch of hot new ones -- Alan Jackson knows this can be trouble.

But in his case, Country Music Television's "CMT Giants: Alan Jackson" (9 p.m. EST Saturday) doesn't signal a changing of the guard just yet.

At 50, Jackson remains a reliable hitmaker, even though he probably has guitar picks older than Taylor Swift and some of the other artists honoring him.

There's no escaping that Jackson has become an elder. The word "influence" was tossed around a lot when the show was taped in October at the Ryman Auditorium with performers including Swift, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack.

Judge signs off on McDermott's divorce

LOS ANGELES -- Dylan McDermott's marriage will be officially over after the new year.

Documents filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday show a judge has agreed to end McDermott's marriage to actress Shiva Rose McDermott on Jan. 2.

Details of the split were not revealed, but neither used lawyers.

They agreed to an uncontested marriage. McDermott, who starred in the legal series "The Practice," filed for divorce in May.

The couple, who have two daughters together, separated in 2007.