Table of contents for September 5, 2022 in Globe

GODFATHER gal Diane Keaton dropped a bombshell by claiming “nobody” wanted Al Pacino to play crime kingpin Michael Corleone in the 1972 mob movie! Though the box office blockbuster was Pacino’s breakthrough role — and earned him an Oscar nod — tipsters tell GLOBE his initial audition was a dud. But director Francis Ford Coppola — who also co-wrote the script with Godfather novelist Mario Puzo — stuck to his guns and insisted Pacino was perfect to play the straight-shooting war hero turned ruthless wiseguy! “Coppola apparently was the only one who thought Al could pull it off,” snitches an insider. “Many of the other castmates thought he was a novice and too raw for the part. James Caan desperately wanted to play Michael himself and was none too pleased…

POP songbird MICHELLE BRANCH, who scored a hit in 2001 with her angsty tune Everywhere, was arrested in Nashville for suspected domestic assault amid her bitter bust-up with Black Keys drummer PATRICK CARNEY. Authorities say Michelle, 39, admitted to slapping her hubby in the face “one or two times” during an argument. In a now-deleted social media post, Michelle accused Patrick, 42, of cheating on her while she was home with their infant daughter, WILLIE, who was born Feb. 2. He did not publicly react to his spouse’s infidelity claims. The estranged couple, who wed in 2019, are also parents to son RHYS, 4. Speaking of her marriage woes, Michelle confides, “To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and…

SHOCKING new evidence of alleged racial abuse of contestants on America’s Next Top Model has solidified former host Tyra Banks’ ever-growing reputation as TV’s Most Hated Star! Unearthed video footage from the early 2000s competition show appeared on Twitter and reveal tyrant Tyra, 48, and fellow former supermodel Janice Dickinson, 67, “bullying” African-American participants Kelle Jacob and Robin Manning for their skin tone and size. The clip ALSO shows Janice apparently making mocking “monkey sounds” while reviewing Kelle’s photos. “That Tyra has gone unscathed from these horrific attacks on these young women will always baffle me,” said one disgusted viewer.…

HENPECKED hubby Jack Chen claims his wannabe black widow wife mixed up killer cocktails containing drain cleaner — and secretly served him the poisonous potion in their Southern California home! Chen, a radiologist, says he became suspicious of Yue “Emily” Yu, his spouse of ten years, after falling ill and set up a nanny cam at their $2.5 million mansion in Irvine. Footage shown in court during Chen’s successful bid for a temporary restraining order showed Yu, a dermatologist, holding a red plastic bottle and dispensing some of its contents into a cup on two occasions. According to Chen’s filing, one video captures Yu “taking the Drano from under the sink” and pouring it into his hot lemonade! He also alleges Yu, 45, was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive to him…

BRUCE WILLIS quit acting due to a tragic brain condition, but a video of him playing his harmonica could be signaling a musical comeback for the Die Hard hunk. The 67-year-old, who’s suffering from the brain damage condition aphasia that savages mental abilities, was seen honking away on his mouth organ with singer-guitarist Derek Richard Thomas in a home video posted by the star’s wife, Emma, 44. “Their talent is speaking for itself,” she writes. While Willis became an action superstar, his second love is music. In 1987, his blues album The Return of Bruno actually hit No. 14 on the Billboard 200 while a second had mild success.…

BAD blood between Donny and Marie Osmond is still festering three years after the squabbling siblings axed their hit Las Vegas residency, stunned tipsters tattle. These days Marie, 62, is miffed at her 64-year-old brother for banning her from his glitzy singles act at Sin City’s Harrah’s Hotel & Casino — even though she’s finding success on her solo cross-country tour. “Last summer, everyone thought they’d put their differences aside when they were talking about doing a comeback tour, but clearly it didn’t happen and Marie felt left out in the cold,” tattles a source. Instead, Donny re-upped his residency on the Vegas Strip, which opens Aug. 30 and runs until Nov. 19. Meanwhile, Marie has found success on her gruelling road trip. “She performed alongside Tim McGraw in July…

ARIES March 21 - April 20 Monetary gains are a breeze with Jupiter in your sign, so seek out opportunities at every turn, Ram. But avoid signing contracts or entering agreements after Friday when Mercury retrograde causes trouble. A flirty friend or stranger points the way to romance Saturday — singles may meet a soulmate. TAURUS April 21 - May 21 The stars warn of strife early, so choose your words carefully to avoid a squabble, Bull. Wednesday brings luck in love or money when you follow red. If you must make a major purchase this week, do it by Thursday night. Organize and tidy your home at the weekend — unexpected guests are on the way. GEMINI May 22 - June 21 Mars has Twins feeling combative. Watch how…

COMIC superstar Eddie Murphy inked a deal to pocket $25 million for shooting Beverly Hills Cop 4, but sources say he’s dragging his feet and looking for an even bigger payday. Sources snitch the 61-year-old dad of ten — worth a whopping $600 million — hasn’t “shot a frame of the Netflix sequel despite committing to a massive $25 million cash deal” and with other reboots like Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick raking in a mind-blowing $1.2 billion worldwide. “It’s like he’s got that huge payday in the bag, and he’ll get to it in time, but wants to hoover up a ton of quick cash elsewhere just because he can,” says an insider. “The feeling is that he needs to take a more Tom Cruise–like approach with BHC4 and…

FORMER catwalker Jerry Hall reportedly “got no satisfaction” as far as dough when she split from tightwad lover Mick Jagger, but she’s walking away with a mountain of bucks and a $13 million English mansion in her divorce from mega-billionaire Rupert Murdoch. The 66-year-old Texas hottie was only wed to Murdoch — head of FOX News and other media — for six years, but the fat cat’s treasure hoard reportedly ballooned $6 billion in just that short time. Less than two months after splitting, she and the media mogul, 91, agreed on a settlement Aug. 10. Sources say she’ll get anywhere from $60 million to $300 million plus the sprawling Georgian-style, 11-bedroom country estate Holmwood House — a drop in the bucket compared to his estimated $17 billion. Hall previously spent…

POP PRINCESS Mariah Carey is reeling after becoming the latest target of a squad of burglars who ransack the homes of famous people who overshare to millions of followers when they’re away on holiday! Lawmen tracking the social-media-savvy gang of goons say they have arrested a few so far — but the hits keep coming, with Mariah’s $5.65 million Atlanta, Ga., mansion the most recent in a string of at least 15 home invasions that cleaned out such celebs as rapper Gunna and Real Housewife Marlo Hampton, and sports figures from the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United! Sources say the 53-year-old diva may have unwittingly tipped off the brazen heist gang by posting repeatedly about her July vacations to Italy and Long Island, N.Y. The burglary was reported just two days…

Disgraced cyclist LANCE ARMSTRONG, 50, sure didn’t race to the altar with latest love ANNA HANSEN, 41. But the notorious cheat — who was stripped of seven Tour de France crowns and booted from the pro circuit for using performance-enhancing drugs — finally said “I do” with his sweetie after 14 years together. Country singer HOLLY WILLIAMS, daughter of HANK WILLIAMS JR. and granddaughter of late music legend HANK WILLIAMS, is expecting baby No. 4 with husband CHRIS COLEMAN. Soap veteran ROBYN GRIGGS, who played Maggie Cory on Another World in the ’90s, died at 49, following a two-year bout with cervical cancer. Metallica rocker JAMES HETFIELD’s two-decade marriage with wife FRANCESCA is fading to black — the Unforgiven singer quietly filed for divorce months ago. Actress DENISE DOWSE, best…

A DISTURBING documentary about fallen star Armie Hammer’s mega-rich family reveals damning text messages that reinforce allegations by two women who claim the actor terrified and abused them! Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison describe their violent relationships with the 36-year-old great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer and serve up chilling clues in his own sick words. A text to Courtney allegedly read: “I am 100% cannibal. I want to eat you!” In another, he asked her “to be my property till you die.” Meanwhile, Julia says the relationship deteriorated until “his violent kinks were all he wanted ever to talk about!”…

BRITNEY SPEARS’ wedding-crasher ex Jason Alexander was convicted of battery and trespassing for trying to invade her third marriage, to groom Sam Asghari. The Oops I Did It … Again songbird got hitched to Alexander in Las Vegas in 2004, but the marriage was annulled after just 55 hours — less than two and a half days! On June 9, the day of the 40-year-old pop princess’ wedding to fitness trainer Sam, 28, at her Thousand Oaks, Calif., home, uninvited Alexander, 40, popped up, damaged a door and tussled with a guard before he was nabbed by sheriff’s deputies and tossed behind bars for 64 days. He was supposedly heard saying he wanted to “crash” the wedding on a social media video. Alexander pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors, but the…

A MASSIVE treasure trove of gold, silver and gems lost when the grand Spanish galleon Maravillas sank in the Bahamas’ shark-infested seas has been recovered by intrepid underwater hunters after nearly 400 years! Using high-tech magnetometers and metal detectors, a team financed by billionaire Carl Allen got permission from the island nation to scour the Caribbean — and hit pay dirt. “When I pulled up the first valuable item, I lost my breath. I’ve been thinking about this my whole life,” Allen admits. The shipwreck sits in about 50 feet of water, but sand can bury items an additional 20 feet below the surface, says the 61-year-old adventurer. But the sea sleuths have salvaged thousands of artifacts since July 2020. The 891-ton two-deck Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas — Our…

VENGEFUL Angelina Jolie is still trying to smear ex Brad Pitt after sources outed her as being behind a mystery lawsuit anonymously filed demanding a sealed FBI file be made public. The lawsuit centers on a 2016 private flight during which Jolie alleges Brad “grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her” and also put his hands on their 15-year-old son, Maddox. Brad has strongly denied her version of events and any wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors also backed away, saying: “It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued.” But the Maleficent movie witch apparently isn’t satisfied. Sources say Angelina thinks the FBI got it wrong and wants all the facts of the case made public.…

BELA LUGOSI really sank his teeth into the title role of the 1931 supernatural chiller Dracula — but the studio wasn’t interested in him at first! They had wanted movie monster great Lon Chaney, who died right before filming, and had a laundry list of actors they preferred. But Lugosi was as persistent as a bloodthirsty vampire, and won the part after accepting a humiliating pay cut that gave him a total of $3,500 to play one of the most iconic roles in movie history!…

STILL reeling from the suicide death of son Ben Keough, Elvis Presley’s former wild child, Lisa Marie, is seeking comfort in religion by becoming a nun, insiders squeal! The ex-Scientologist, pill popper and cocaine junkie has been secretly visiting the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn., where she’s planning to live a peaceful and sin-free life. The four-time divorcee and mom of three surviving children has been seeing Mother Dolores Hart, 83, a former starlet who was Elvis’ love interest in the ’50s flicks Loving You and King Creole! She quit her budding career at 24 to become a cloistered Benedictine nun, but later appeared in the 2011 documentary God Is the Bigger Elvis. “Lisa Marie’s been through so much. She’s convinced that Mother Dolores can finally help her find…

TV crime fighter Mariska Hargitay had boasted she prefers a natural look, but as aging sours her looks, the 58-year-old’s seeking help with nip/tucks, sources say. The Law & Order: SVU star, who plays beloved Det. Olivia Benson on the long-running series, looked visibly haggard while filming scenes in New York City Aug. 5. “She was against plastic surgery in her younger years but these days — looking at the dailies or in the mirror — are enough to change her mind,” spills an insider. “She looks long in the tooth and tired all the time.” The daughter of late sex symbol Jayne Mansfield “would never change her nose or do anything too drastic or invasive,” notes the insider. But she’s considering laser treatment that erases forehead and smile lines…

JOKESTER Jerry Seinfeld is finally pumping the brakes on his punishing routine and, at 68, is winding down his stand-up act to focus on other projects, GLOBE can reveal! “Jerry’s current comedy tour is being seen as his farewell swan song,” spills an insider. “For the first time since the Seinfeld show ended in 1998, he’s actively pulling back from the spotlight and putting his live act on indefinite hold. “He doesn’t want to be touring and doing Vegas shows into his 70s!” The wisecracker is working on Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story, a movie he has said he wanted to make virtually since the toaster treat came on the market in 1964. He co-wrote the script and will direct and star, along with Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer and Hugh Grant. “It’s…

MOMOA DUMPS ON CONAN! Muscle-bound Aquaman hunk JASON MOMOA has a crappy opinion of his cinematic stinker Conan the Barbarian! The onetime Baywatch beefcake, 43, played the titular sword-wielding warrior in the 2011 flick, which was a remake of ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’s 1982 cult classic. But screen superhero Jason thinks his version — which had a $100 million budget but only brought in $63 million at the box office — was a waste! “I’ve been a part of a lot of things that really sucked, and movies where it’s out of your hands,” gripes Jason. “Conan was one of them and turned into a big pile of s**t.” Guess he’d like to flush the turd from his résumé! TED LASSO HUNK’S MARVEL MELTDOWN Talk about a Herculean feat! Ted Lasso breakout…

THREE years after Game of Thrones ended its eight-season run, the megahit’s prequel, House of the Dragon, has come to TV — with Doctor Who veteran Matt Smith, 39, as villainous Daemon Targaryen. The English actor, who also portrayed Prince Philip in The Crown, says he hopes the new series will provide “fantastical escapism for people.” Here are ten things you don’t know about Matt. 1 He aspired to play soccer professionally — until a serious back injury cut short his athletic career at 16. 2 He was introduced to acting by his cousin Leigh Killick, who taught drama at his school. 3 When he signed on for Doctor Who, he was only 26, making him the youngest performer ever cast as the sci-fi show’s titular Time Lord. 4 He…

IMMODEST Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee brazenly banged his own drum when he used social media to bare his biggest band member — his penis! The barely relevant rocker, 59, added to his body of work with yet another stripped-down performance when he posted a panoramic pic of his manhood on Instagram, captioned: “Ooooopppsss!” Instagram quickly closed down the show but not before the comments section lit up, with quips including: “How long will this stay up?” Tommy first made his privates public with a 1995 sex tape, co-starring then-wife Pamela Anderson. Even the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy gave his package prominent play in a scene where the skin-banging Crüe-man, played by actor Sebastian Stan, 40, has a heart-to-heart with his endowment. “Tommy’s favorite duets will always be with…

POUTING Jada Pinkett Smith is ordering tubby hubby Will Smith to see a love doctor in a desperate bid to fix their limp sex life! Sources tattle the 53-year-old Bad Boy star’s mojo fell off a cliff following his “Slapgate” scandal — where he smacked presenter Chris Rock on the puss onstage at the Oscars — and the frisky 50-year-old mom of two is demanding he get help from a love doc. “Jada’s feeling frustrated, so she wants a specialist to talk to in the hope they’ll fix the problem,” dishes a source. “She doesn’t want another open marriage scenario if they can help it.” As GLOBE reported, the pair’s world fell apart after Smith whacked comedian Rock — sparking worldwide outrage and plunging his career and marriage into crisis.…

KOALA fingerprints are nearly identical to human ones — and scientists have trouble telling them apart even under a microscope. Because of this, there are rare cases where koalas have been known to taint crime scenes with their paws! SELF-EMPLOYED women are likely to be healthier than gals who toil for “the man!” A new study of more than 4,600 working women found that those who are their own boss got more exercise and had healthier hearts — possibly because they are able to set their own schedules and fit in exercise as needed. SEATTLE’s Space Needle debuted at the World’s Fair in 1962 and was such a thrill that celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Neil Armstrong came out to see it! After the fair, a broadcast booth was…