Well, this should be interesting.

Michelle Rodriguez, arguably one of the more polarizing personalities to have ever gotten Lost, is returning to the show this season, multiple sources confirm to me exclusively.

Details of her comeback are, not surprisingly, shrouded in secrecy, but here’s what I can tell you:

• Rodriguez is back for one episode, most likely this season’s second. As a result, the risk to Hawaii’s roadways is said to be minimal.

• Given that Ana Lucia’s bullet-riddled body is probably entering the final stage of decomposition, conventional Lost wisdom (if there is such a thing) points to her appearing in someone’s flashback or via hallucination. The fact that Cheech Marin is also on the guest list for eppy 2 suggests that it’s most likely a Hurley-centric outing. And after his encounter with Charlie’s ghost last season, it’s certainly feasible that Hurley would have an imaginary run-in with Ana Lucia. There’s also this theory, put forth by EW’s own Doc Jensen: “Maybe Ana Lucia busted L.A.-based Ghost Hustler Miles during her pre-crash LAPD days, and now the freighter folkster is seeing visions of the late Tailie on the Island!”

• Rodriguez’s return follows last season’s “resurrection” of fellow doomed Tailie Cynthia Watros (Libby), who appeared in a vision to Michael. Could Mr. Eko be next, thus completing, as Jensen jests, the “Busted Tailie Story Line Redemption Tour”?

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves — first we’ve got to process this M.R. news, and that means posing the following question to Lost fans: Are you looking forward to seeing Ana Lucia again, even if for just a brief stint? Or would you have preferred that she remain dead and buried alongside Paolo and Nikki? Sound off below!

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So much for that comeback.

“Britney Spears will not be performing at the VMAs this year. I’m telling you officially and unequivocally,” Ryan Seacrest quoted her manager, Larry Rudolph, as saying on his KIIS-FM radio show Monday morning.

Rudolph told Seacrest that Spears “is in the middle of recording her next album, which is going amazingly well, and was never supposed to perform at that show.”

The possibility of Spears performing had been rumored for weeks. (Her hair stylist Kim Vo even told E! News that he was creating three VMA looks for the singer, hinting that one of the ‘dos was for her performance.)

The singer is still involved in the show in some capacity, however.

She is appearing alongside host Russell Brand in cheeky TV spots promoting the September 7 show.

She is also up for three VMAs — including “Video of the Year” — for her song “Piece of Me.”

Spears has never won a “Moonman,” despite being nominated 17 times.

Last year, she raised eyebrows after her rocky opening performance of “Gimme More.” The New York Times called her “awful,” writing that she “tottered around the stage, dancing tentatively and doing nothing that sounded or looked like real live singing.”

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The season seven Dancing with the Stars cast was officially announced Monday on ABC’s Good Morning America, and after much Internet speculation on who would be joining the show, there are plenty of surprises.

The diverse lineup includes soap star Susan Lucci, recent Beijing Olympics gold medal winner Misty May-Treanor, Kim Kardashian and former ‘N Sync star Lance Bass. The cast also boasts the oldest-ever competitor with actress Cloris Leachman, 82, and the youngest-ever competitor with Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley, 18.

Dancing producer Conrad Green tells PEOPLE that he’s anticipating this season to be one of the show’s best yet. He says, “tons of people might be contenders right down to the last week. That’s what people want – lots of competition and unpredictable things happening.”

What’s sure to also spice up the competition is the return of pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who took last season off. Also, three new dancers will join the show, including Corky Ballas (father of season six champ Mark Ballas), Lacey Schwimmer of 2007’s So You Think You Can Dance, and U.S. Amateur 10 Dance Champion Inna Brayer.

Dancing, which is nominated for eight primetime Emmys this year, kicks off its seventh season on Monday, Sept. 22, on ABC.

“We thought we’d focus on good characters and lots of things could happen. It’s a show that makes itself in some ways,” says Green, adding this bit of advice to fans: “Sit back and get ready for the ride.”

Here’s the rundown of celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners ready to mambo for the mirror-ball trophy:

• Toni Braxton, singer, 40, and season one DWTS champ Alec Mazo
• Lance Bass, singer, 29, and Lacey Schwimmer
• Ted McGinley, actor, 50, and Inna Brayer
• Cloris Leachman, actress, 82, and Corky Ballas
• Warren Sapp, former NFL star, 35, and Kym Johnson
• Rocco DiSpirito, chef, 41, and Karina Smirnoff
• Kim Kardashian, TV personality, 27, and reigning DWTS champ Mark Ballas
• Maurice Green, Olympic gold medalist track and field star, 34, and two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke
• Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist beach volleyball player, 31, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• Susan Lucci, Emmy-award winning soap opera actress, 61, and Tony Dovolani
• Jeffrey Ross, 42, comedian, and Edyta Sliwinska
• Cody Linley, 18, actor, and two-time DWTS champ Julianne Hough
• Brooke Burke, 36, TV personality, and Derek Hough

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It pays to live in France. Literally!

With their brood of six kids, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are eligible for almost $2,600 a month in child benefits – though it’s highly unlikely the couple will accept the cash.

Just before the birth of their twins, Knox and Vivienne, the movie stars moved into the Chateau Miraval in the south of France.

Pitt, 44, registered the family at the town hall in nearby Brignoles – making them qualify for France’s generous parenting subsidies. (The benefits are available to all families, regardless of their financial means.)

No one expects the Jolie-Pitt clan to cash in, but they are technically eligible for a “nanny payment” of $975.84 a month, not to mention an “orphan allowance” of $508.97 for each of their three adopted children. The grand total, $2,592.81, would be payable by check each month.

“We do not discuss individual benefits cases,” said a spokeswoman for the Brignoles council. “But [we] can confirm that all resident local families with young children are eligible for certain benefits.”

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American Idol is adding a fourth judge: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi.

DioGuardi will appear at the judges’ table with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the eighth season of the hit show, which premieres in January.

“We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table,” show creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said in a statement.

DioGuardi’s songs have appeared on more than 100 million records by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.

The songwriter’s work has also been used by past Idol contestants, including Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Clay Aiken.

“She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America’s most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show,” Fuller added.

American Idol was originally slated to have four judges, executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said in the statement announcing the news.

“We’ve seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers,” she explained.

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TMZ obtained photos of the aftermath in Kim Kardashian’s hotel room, where she cut her toe on a glass mirrored coffee table (see photo).

Kim described it as looking like a murder scene. If so, it could be one of the cleanest murders ever.

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Adult film star Jenna Jameson is going to be a mommy.

“Yes, I can confirm I’m pregnant. It’s still early, so I’m being cautious. I’m resting as much as possible,” she tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. “I’m so happy!”

She adds that she and boyfriend of two years, mixed martial arts fighter Tito Ortiz, “are still in a state of shock.

“I’m just saying super healthy,” she says. “I’ve moved down to the beach with Tito — I love being by the beach.”

In May, she told Us, “We’re trying for a baby, so hopefully in the next couple of months!”

But the 34-year-old Jameson — who split from adult film studio owner Jay Grdina in 2006 and from porn star Brad Armstrong in 2001— said they have no plans to walk down the aisle.

“I think I’m gonna stay unmarried and just go for the babies!” she told Us. “I’m following in Angelina’s footsteps!”

The pregnancy news is joyful for Jameson.

She previously told Us she discovered she was two months pregnant in November 2004 after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma. A day later, she miscarried due to the stress of cancer.

But the devout Catholic — who has tried in vitro — told Us, “It was all in God’s plan.”

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Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller’s summer of love, which began with their wedding in May, is closing with more exciting news: They are expecting their first child together, his rep confirms.

“Brooke and I are thrilled!” Sheen said in a statement Monday. “She’s the best stepmom Sam, Lola and Cassandra could ever hope for. Seeing her love and affection with those three, I know she’ll be an amazing mom. Unless I bat 100 percent, perhaps a boy awaits us.”

Sheen, 42, already has three daughters: Sam, 4, and Lola, 3, with ex-wife Denise Richards, and Cassandra, 23, with ex-girlfriend Paula Profitt.

“Brooke found out for sure on Friday and is thrilled to death,” a family source tells PEOPLE. “Brooke loves Charlie very much and has wanted a baby for some time.”

The pregnancy doesn’t come as a major surprise: The pair began talking kids right after their wedding, with Mueller joking that she wanted triplets. “Could you imagine if I really had triplets?” she told Extra in June. “He’d be like, ‘Whoa!’”

The couple were married in front of about 60 close friends and family at a private estate in Los Angeles in May. Earlier this month, Sheen, 42, reflected on married life with Mueller, saying it’s “fabulous.” He added, “We’re having a ball. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

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ISABELLA Rossellini’s model daughter, Elettra Wiedemann , is more than just a pretty face - she’s trying to save the world one T-shirt at a time. The Italian stunner is working with the Solar Electric Life Fund to equip a failing hospital in Kigutu, Burundi, with solar power. To raise $450,000, Wiedemann enlisted the help of fashion-industry friends to design limited-edition, Africa-inspired T-shirts to be sold via JOFD.org.

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Last Monday - the night before her ex, Courtenay Semel, was arrested in Las Vegas for smacking a Caesars security guard - Johnson debuted her latest love at Kathie Lee Gifford’s 55th-birthday party. Johnson showed up at diet guru Nikki Haskell’s LA apartment (where the born-again “Today” show hostess was being feted) with Lisa, a “really hot new brunette girlfriend,” a spy said. “But it was totally inappropriate. Casey was dressed in lace short-shorts and a lace-up top, and Lisa was scantily clad and covered in a leather trench coat. She looked like she was in “The Matrix” and had big silicone lips. They were very S&M-looking.” Regis and Joy Philbin, Bruce Jenner and other guests were more conservatively attired. Johnson’s phone wasn’t taking messages when we called for comment.

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CAMERON Diaz and Jennifer Aniston traded boyfriends, and Diaz made the better deal. She’s having more fun with Aniston’s ex, Paul Sculfor, than Aniston had with Diaz’s former fling, John Mayer. Our spy spotted Diaz at the Four Seasons in the Maldives with Sculfor, who split from Aniston last summer. “They snorkeled, kayaked, and she ate like a horse,” reports our witness. Diaz and her model man stayed in a huge bungalow on the water, and she was “wearing a chunky ring on her left ring finger.”

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Michael Phelps’ estranged father Fred tells the New York Post that he has not had a single conversation with his Olympian son since Michael left for Beijing.

“He’s so busy, I’m sure not even his agent can get a hold of him,” Fred recently told the Post outside his suburban Baltimore home.

Of his eight medals, Fred said, “I’m very proud of him and all he’s done. This is not about me, it’s about him.” He added that he “watched [Michael] every night on TV” last week.

The retired Maryland state trooper has been in and out his son’s life ever since he divorced Michael’s mother Debbie in 1992 when Michael was 9. The same year, the swimmer was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

After the divorce, it was Michael’s mom who drove him to swim practice each day. (Michael has never publicly acknowledged his father as having any role in his success.)

“The bullying and adversity made him be stronger and work harder,” mom Debbie tells Us Weekly exclusively in its new issue, on newsstands now.

On Friday, it was announced that Phelps will detail his life being raised by his single mother in his memoir, Built to Succeed, due in December.

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The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” may have already lost its first competitor — and they haven’t even announced the official cast yet.

Kim Kardashian — who is scheduled to be on the show this season — badly cut her foot in her hotel room late Sunday night. We’re told she sliced her foot open on a glass coffee table and was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital. No word on how many stitches she needed, but a source tells TMZ there was “so much blood, it looked like a murder scene.”

“DWTS” makes its official cast announcement this morning and Kim is in town to do press for that and her new movie, “Disaster Movie.” We’re told Kim has already begun to practice for the show, but it’s unclear now whether she’ll be able to participate.

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The 62-year-old singer and actress is reported to be in talks to play Catwoman opposite Christian Bale in the third Batman film from British director Christopher Nolan.

The Oscar-winner will join a cast that includes Johnny Depp as The Riddler as she plays the whip-carrying burglar. The character has also been played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry.

A studio executive said: “Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years.
“The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations.”

Filming of the new Batman instalment, provisionally entitled The Caped Crusader, is due to begin in Vancouver early next year.

The Dark Knight, this summer’s blockbuster, has become the most successful of the Batman movies. Warner Bros expects the film to make about $530m.

It stars the late Heath Ledger, who was found dead in his Manhattan apartment after taking an accidental drugs overdose. His performance as The Joker is widely expected to garner an Oscar nomination.

Cher’s recent acting performances have included Tea with Mussolini in 1999 and Stuck on You, in 2003 in which she played herself.

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