Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, all smiles in public (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One day after a magazine claimed that their marriage was in trouble, Hollywood super couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith appeared together in public Wednesday, smiling broadly for cameras and fans.

Their brief walk down a sidewalk outside a restaurant in the wealthy enclave of Malibu followed a story published online Tuesday by In Touch Weekly magazine saying the pair, who have two superstar children, were headed for a separation.

That story was attributed to an unnamed "insider" and was followed by a public denial in a statement issued on behalf of the Smiths.

"Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact," the pair said in the joint statement.

But the rumors persisted Wednesday with singer Marc Anthony, who co-stars with Jada Pinkett Smith on TV show "Hawthorne" and who recently split up with singer Jennifer Lopez, surfacing in reports as a possible suitor to his TV co-star.

In Malibu, Will Smith was asked by a reporter for celebrity news website TMZ.com to comment on the "ridiculous rumors" in the media, and Smith answered, "you just did."

(Reporting and Writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Judge: No public trial for Sheen over 'Men' firing (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Charlie Sheen won't get quite the audience he wanted for his $100 million lawsuit over his firing from "Two and a Half Men" — a judge on Wednesday ruled his case should be handled through private arbitration rather than in a public courtroom.

Sheen's contract with Warner Bros. Television has a valid arbitration clause, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Allan Goodman wrote in a 21-page ruling. The decision will dampen publicity about the case, which Sheen filed on March 10 — days after he was fired from his starring role on television's top-rated comedy.

The ruling applies to Sheen's allegations against "Men" executive producer Chuck Lorre, whose contract with Warner Bros. also has an arbitration clause.

Sheen had requested the case be heard in public court, and a judge heard arguments on the issue in April.

But Goodman said in his ruling that Sheen was represented by competent attorneys when he signed his contract requiring any disputes to be handled through private arbitration.

The studio cited Sheen's bizarre behavior in interviews and his criticism of Lorre as reasons for the actor's firing.

Sheen's role has been eliminated from the show and Ashton Kutcher will appear next season.

Sheen's spokesman Larry Solters declined comment in an email. A phone message to Sheen's attorney, Marty Singer, was not immediately returned.

"We're very gratified by the court's ruling enforcing the parties' arbitration agreement," Warner Bros. said in a statement.

Lorre's attorney, Howard Weitzman, also welcomed the ruling.

"This matter will now proceed in an orderly fashion as the parties agreed to," Weitzman wrote in an email.

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Cash-starved Philly Orchestra asks public to help (AP)

PHILADELPHIA – The financially troubled Philadelphia Orchestra is kicking off a new campaign aimed at rallying both classical music devotees and novices to support the ensemble by attending concerts and making donations.

The "Listen with Your Heart" initiative announced Wednesday will include public events, fundraising and public awareness campaigns in the city's restaurants, hotels and shops. A key message of the effort is that the orchestra, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last month, is essential to the city's vibrancy and everyone — music lovers or otherwise — has a stake in its success.

"The orchestra is not just for those of means or those who may have a particular appreciation for classical music or a trained ear," said Mayor Michael Nutter, who joined orchestra officials at a press conference inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel's soaring marble lobby. "It's actually for every citizen."

Former concertgoers, lapsed season-ticket subscribers and those who have "somehow, some way" never attended a performance or made a donation can help the orchestra and the city as a whole, he said.

"In addition to its inherent cultural value, the orchestra and the businesses its supports are truly a force in the local economy," Nutter said.

The orchestra, among the world's most renowned symphonies and the ensemble behind the soundtrack to Walt Disney's 1940 film "Fantasia," became the first major U.S. orchestra to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Management said it was facing a $14.5 million shortfall on a $46 million budget and would run out of cash by June.

It has struggled with dwindling attendance and donations, shrinking endowment income, pension costs and rent prices at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Some officials also have blamed the economic recession and an aging audience. A federal Bankruptcy Court judge has allowed the orchestra time to reorganize its finances and map its short- and long-term future without canceling the current concert season.

Orchestra president and chief executive officer Allison Vulgamore said the new initiative seeks to reconnect Philadelphians with the orchestra and to drum up awareness by displaying "Listen with Your Heart" posters and buttons in local businesses.

"We join all who believe that the Philadelphia Orchestra is a legacy that must continue," she said. "We are deeply rooted in regaining our financial stability, but not losing the incredible musical excellence of this institution, and we must remain a destination orchestra not just for our musicians ... but also for our audiences."

She reported "brisk sales" of subscriptions for the 2011-2012 season and $2.6 million in donations from 1,200 people, both in the month since the orchestra's April 16 bankruptcy filing.

"With the end of the 2010-11 season, we will now have a season on which we have balanced: We are no further declining in our sales this year," she said. "Thank you, Philadelphia, for getting us ready to build sales moving forward."

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Online:

Listen with Your Heart campaign: http://www.philorchtoday.org

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Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Go Public on Red Carpet

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez hit the red carpet together at Vanity Fair's Oscar Party Sunday night looking super stylish in color-coordinated outfits, putting to rest any question of the pair's real relationship status.

The duo was decked out in Dolce & Gabbana for the star-studded event, according to PopCrunch. Gomez, 18, wore a crimson D&G gown while Bieber, 16, wore a matching red pocket square with his swanky black suit.

The annual party, held at the Sunset Tower Hotel, marks the first official appearance by the teenage couple, who have been spotted on low-key dates by paparazzi.

The event also marked the red carpet debut of something else: Bieber's new haircut. The singer, who showed off his shorter 'do last week on Twitter and on 'Ellen,' looked so fresh and clean as he posed for photos with Gomez.
While neither star received a golden statue this year, the Academy Awards might not be too far off in Bieber's future. The Bieber-centric documentary 'Never Say Never' has brought in an estimated $62 million since opening earlier this month.Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebookhttp://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option

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