Chris Brown pleads guilty

Chris Brown pleads guilty

LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault on pop star Rihanna.

Brown, 20, entered his plea before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start in LA on Monday.

Rihanna, 21, had been on standby to testify.

After Brown left the courtroom, Rihanna entered and was addressed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, who explained to the Barbados-born singer that she had issued a stay-away order.

Rihanna had not been seeking a stay-away order, but the judge imposed one. The order requires that Brown and Rihanna stay at least 50 yards from each, except at industry events, when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.

The judge also told Rihanna it’s not a one-way order and she will be in violation if she gets closer to Brown than the order allows.

Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, said the plea deal includes five years of supervised probation and six months of community labor. Brown will be formally sentenced Aug. 5.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after police say he hit and threatened Rihanna after leaving a pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles. He was later charged with felony assault likely to produce great bodily harm and making criminal threats.

O’Neal, Fawcett plan to wed

NEW YORK — Ryan O’Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer.

The 68-year-old actor says in an interview with Barbara Walters for ABC’s “20/20” that he asked his longtime companion to marry him and “she’s agreed.” O’Neal says they will tie the knot “as soon as she can say yes.”

Walters’ interview with O’Neal airs Friday. Fawcett was diagnosed in 2006 with anal cancer that has spread to her liver. The “Charlie’s Angels” star and O’Neal have a 24-year-old son, Redmond.

Peas manager charged with assaulting blogger

TORONTO — Police have charged the tour manager of the Black Eyed Peas with assault after he reportedly punched celebrity blogger Perez Hilton outside a Toronto nightclub.

Hilton said he got into an argument with band members Fergie and will.i.am at the Cobra nightclub early Monday and was punched outside by Polo Molina, the band’s tour manager.

Molina turned himself in and has been charged with assaulting Hilton, Toronto Police Constable Tony Vella said. Molina is due in court Aug. 5.

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira and who is openly gay, said in an interview with the Associated Press that he called will.i.am a “faggot,” a gay slur, inside the club after the musician told the blogger not to write about his band on his Web site.

“He was like ‘You need to respect me.’ He was in my face. He was obviously trying to intimidate me and scare me,” Hilton said. “I was like, ‘I don’t need to respect you. I don’t respect you and I did say this,’ and I knew that it would be the worst thing I could possibly say to him because he was acting the way he was. I said, ‘You know what, I don’t respect you and you’re gay and stop being such a faggot.’”

Baldwin bails out on ‘I’m a Celebrity’

NEW YORK —Another celebrity has bailed out of the Costa Rican jungle set of “I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!”

Stephen Baldwin says he exited the NBC show over the weekend because he received more than 125 insect bites in eight days.

In a statement, he says the bites were so bad that he had an extreme allergic reaction that caused him to lose sleep and 22 pounds.

“I’m a Celebrity” ends Wednesday.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Ted Shackelford (“Knots Landing”) is 63. Actor Bryan Brown is 62. “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 53. Actress Frances McDormand is 52. Drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is 47. Singer Chico DeBarge is 39. Singer KT Tunstall is 34. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 32. Singer Duffy is 25.