Toni Braxton has benign tumor removed

December 11, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

LOS ANGELES — Toni Braxton had a good reason for not dancing on the finale of “Dancing With the Stars” last month: The 41-year-old singer says she had a benign tumor removed from her breast the week before.

Braxton says she knew about the tumor before she appeared on the ABC show. She scheduled the surgery after being eliminated from the competition Oct. 20.

She tells Us Weekly magazine in its issue out Friday: “Getting the boot on the show was actually a blessing in disguise for me. My grandmother on my dad’s side died of breast cancer, and I have aunts on both sides that have breast cancer.” Though Braxton is still recovering, she is scheduled to appear on the “Dancing With the Stars” tour, which begins Wednesday in San Diego.

Jackson’s glove is back on the auction block

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson’s glittery glove is going on the auction block.

The glove, which inspired countless copycats, quips and Halloween costumes after it was unveiled in the 1983 video for Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean,” will be part of a five-day auction next year, Julien’s Auctions announced Wednesday. Jackson is also unloading the grandiose gates that once led to his Neverland Ranch, along with more than 2,000 other personal items.

The King of Pop’s possessions will be on display before the auction begins on April 21, 2009. Bids will be accepted in person and online. The sale is to be broadcast live on Auction Network.

Jackson plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to MusiCares, a charitable organization founded by the Recording Academy to help musicians in need.

The singer has been plagued by financial woes since he was acquitted of child-molestation charges in 2003. He went into default on his sprawling Neverland property earlier this year, before an investment company bought the loan.

‘Brokeback’ cuts anger gay rights activists

ROME — Italian state television cut a gay sex scene from Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” as well as a sequence showing the lead characters kissing when it aired the movie, drawing allegations of censorship from gay rights groups on Wednesday.

Activists protested that RAI TV would never have dropped similar scenes had they involved a heterosexual couple, and politicians called for the incident to be discussed in parliament. RAI said it had aired the cut version by mistake.

“Brokeback Mountain” is a cowboy romance about two ranch-hand buddies who start an affair when they meet on the fictional mountain in the 1960s. RAI’s second channel aired the film late Monday. Gay groups and Italian media said the movie was missing a passionate sex scene in a tent as well as a sequence showing a kiss between the lead characters, played by the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

RAI said in a statement the film had arrived from the distributor already cut so that it could be shown in prime time. When it was decided to air it late at night, no one checked for the uncut version, it said. RAI pledged to show the complete movie soon.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Rita Moreno is 77. Singer David Gates of Bread is 68. Actress Donna Mills (“Knots Landing”) is 66. Singer Brenda Lee is 64. Actress Lynda Day George is 64. Actress Teri Garr is 60. Actress Bess Armstrong is 55. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 54. Bassist Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 50. Singer-bassist Justin Currie of Del Amitri is 44. Bassist David Schools of Widespread Panic is 44. Actor Gary Dourdan (“C.S.I.”) is 42. Actress-comedian Mo’Nique (“The Parkers”) is 40. Rapper-actor Mos Def is 35. Actor Rider Strong (“Boy Meets World”) is 29.