In court
A Santa Monica jury acquitted Susan McDougal, 43, the Clintons' former business partner in the Whitewater land deal, of stealing $50,000 from conductor Zubin Mehta, 62, and his wife, Nancy Mehta, 62, by forging checks and credit card receipts. McDougal, who was freed from jail last June after serving 18 months for contempt of court in Kenneth Starr's Whitewater probe, still faces up to 12 years in prison for contempt and obstruction of justice charges in Starr's investigation....
A Manhattan judge has ruled that former tennis great John McEnroe, 39, does not have to continue child support payments to his ex-wife, actress Tatum O'Neal, 35, while their three children—ages 7, 11 and 12—are living with him. O'Neal, who was divorced from McEnroe in 1994 and has been engaged in a prolonged custody battle with him, lost primary guardianship of the kids and reportedly has undergone treatment for substance abuse problems....
On Nov. 11, fitness guru Susan Powter, 40, was ordered by a Dallas judge to pay her ex-husband, loan officer Lincoln Apeland, 36, $143,860 in alimony. She filed for bankruptcy in 1995. Explaining his client's inability to pay, Powter's lawyer told the court, "Have you ever heard about getting blood out of a turnip?"....
The Hawaii supreme court overturned a $22 billion award—one of the largest civil judgments ever—against Imelda Marcos, 67, the former First Lady of the Philippines, and her late husband, Ferdinand Marcos, for allegedly stealing crates of gold bullion and a diamond-stuffed golden Buddha statue from treasure hunter Rogelio Roxas. The Atlanta estate of Roxas, who died in 1993 just before the trial began, claims that Marcos had confiscated the loot after the hunter's 1971 expedition uncovered the booty in an area north of Manila. "Once again," said Marcos in a statement, "the U.S. courts and judicial system works."
Deaths
Soap star Norma Connolly, 71, who played Aunt Ruby for 20 years on General Hospital, died of complications from a stroke on Nov. 18 in L.A. She appeared on Broadway and in several films, including The Wrong Man (1957) and They Only Kill Their Masters (1972).
Births
Filmmaker Julie Cipher, 34, the partner of gravel-voiced rocker Melissa Etheridge, 37, gave birth to son Beckett (9 lbs. 15 ozs.) on Nov. 18 in L.A. The couple, who are already raising Cipher's 20-month-old daughter Bailey, refuse to disclose the identity of either child's father....
Blair Underwood, 34, best known for his seven-year tenure on the TV drama L.A. Law, and his wife, Desiree, 35, welcomed daughter Brielle Nicole (6 lbs. 14 ozs.) on Nov. 12 in L.A. They already have a 20-month-old son, Paris.
Medical
Singer Julie Andrews, 63, may never be able to sing again, according to published reports. The star of The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and Broadway's Victor/ Victoria underwent surgery in June 1997 to remove a small polyp from her throat. According to Andrews's spokesman, the star "is still experiencing considerable vocal problems."
Exit
On Nov. 19, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, 32, was released from a federal prison after serving 20 months and entered an L.A. halfway house, where she will spend six months to complete her sentence for attempted pandering, tax evasion and money laundering.
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