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Wednesday Gossip
Erik Estrada's son caused pilots of a Northwest Airlines flight to make an emergency landing Thursday in Oklahoma City, where he was removed by FBI agents.
Brandon Estrada, a student and athlete at USC, started behaving in a bizarre manner a couple of hours into the L.A.-to-Memphis flight, another passenger, who asked to remain nameless, tells us.
"During the flight, he became agitated," said the fellow flier. "He was convinced that nobody was flying the plane. He jumped up and reached over the other passengers and lifted up their window cover. Then he tried to get out of the airplane. Then he tried to get into the cockpit. He kept saying there were no pilots. It was wild."
Yet flight attendants remained calm as they handled the situation, our witness attests. "They found military and police passengers and quietly brought them up front, and they all restrained him," said the passenger. "Half the people didn't know what was going on. They kept it under wraps."
Estrada was taken off the plane in Oklahoma City but not arrested. The flight continued, but arrived five hours late in Memphis, where Northwest footed the bill for hotel rooms, our passengers reports.
The FBI spokesman for Oklahoma, Gary Johnson, told us: "We are conducting an investigation into an incident in which an aircraft was diverted to Oklahoma City as the result of an alleged unruly passenger."
Northwest Airlines spokesman Roman Blahoski confirmed the incident with Brandon, whose mother is Estrada's second wife, Peggy Rowe.
A family friend said, "He's a great kid and he's never been in any trouble."
The senior Estrada - an East Harlem native frequently who starred in "CHiPS" and who trains as a cop on the CBS reality show "Armed and Famous" - weighed in on the incident.
"Brandon informed us recently that he has had 'stress' and 'pressure' at college, and has elected to see an on-campus psychologist," said Estrada. "I told him that it was a good idea to talk to someone about his feelings and condition.
"I would like to thank all the women and men of law enforcement, as well as Northwest Airlines, for helping my son when he was clearly not able to help himself. I am sorry that other passengers had to be negatively affected by this incident, and thank all of them for helping my son. He now can get the help that he clearly needs."
Estrada also had a plea for his fans: "Please reach out to my son in your prayers during this time of need. I thank you all for your support."
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Jennifer Lopez is revving up her lawyers to take on former fashion partner Andy Hilfiger, we hear from a source.
The two parted ways last year after a disappointing collaboration on her label, Sweetface. Despite huge hype and a presence at New York Fashion Week, the line never lived up to expectations.
"It is expected that she will file suit and that he will countersue," says a source close to one of the parties. "They're likely to sue each other."
The split took place after years of seemingly cordial relations that even saw Hilfiger attending the Sweetface shows with his designer brother, Tommy.
Last year, Radar magazine reported that one reason for the rift was the hands-on approach of J.Lo's husband, Marc Anthony. His involvement in Lopez's business dealings reportedly cramped Hilfiger, who was the Sweetface CEO.
"Andy is very happily back at the Hilfiger empire," says the snitch of his decision to return to his brother's business.
Reps for both sides did not comment Tuesday.
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WE might not see Lindsay Lohan fall into anything serious with a guy anytime soon - sources say the starlet is investing most of her time in her new best friend, Courtenay Semel.
Last week, Lohan attended a holiday and housewarming party at the Los Angeles home of "Power Lesbian" Jeanette Longoria with Semel, the daughter of Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel, one partygoer told Page Six.
The spy at the sapphic soiree also overheard the duo refer to themselves as roommates, and one Hollywood insider claimed they've been living together in a house in LA for about a month.
"Lindsay came with Courtenay to the party around midnight and they stayed for an hour," said our spywitness. "The girls held hands and were with each other the whole time." The tipster added, "Every time I see Lindsay, there's Courtenay. They are always together."
Other insiders said that although the blond actress is still friends with her deejay pal Samantha Ronson - with whom Lohan has reportedly made out in the past - her friends say Lindsay has been spending most of her time recently with Semel.
A rep for Lohan told Page Six, "The two are good friends, nothing more."
Also at the party were Diana Ross' son, Evan Ross, and Lohan frenemy Brandon Davis. "Lindsay seemed really nervous," said the source. "It was the first time she's seen a lot of people from her past life and she seemed socially awkward - like she was sticking by Courtenay for support." The close pals left together, and were spotted the next day shopping in Beverly Hills.
Semel last popped up on the celebrity radar when she infuriated her father by agreeing to star in E! reality show "Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive," with pals Fabian Basabe, Brittny Gastineau and Katy Benetar. The series, produced by Joe Simpson, featured a pack of spoiled, rich kids trying to rough it on a Colorado ranch.
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MOMMY-to-be Jennifer Lopez was all smiles at Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman's wedding - except when she got two blasts from the past in the form of ex-boyfriends. Among the celebs sending warm wishes via video to Weinstein and Chapman were two of Lopez's previous beaus, Ben Affleck and Sean "Diddy" Combs. "Jennifer was laughing at all the funny tributes," said one guest. "But when Diddy and Ben gave their speeches, she went silent. She looked sort of uncomfortable and people were staring at her." Lopez attended with husband Marc Anthony.
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DOES Fantasia Barrino have a bun in the oven? Yes, say several reliable bloggers including celebrity writer Jonathan Jackson, who credits Atlanta rapper Young Dro with being the father. Barrino's flack didn't get back to us, but an upcoming visit from the stork might explain the star's numerous absences from the Broadway smash "The Color Purple," which she's just left. The Post's Michael Riedel reported last week that Fantasia has missed nearly 50 performances since the summer, disappointing fans and wreaking havoc at the box office. The "American Idol 3" winner already has a 6-year-old daughter, Zion Quari, by an ex-boyfriend.
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A very pregnant Christina Aguilera has some big tasks on her holiday to-do list: she needs to finish decorating her new house, attend another baby shower... and she's gearing up for her scheduled C-section in early January.
Christina has a full house with her visiting family, and her home is not even completely finished. Christina and hubby Jordan Bratman are sparing no expense when it comes to decorating, and the pregnant singer was spotted shopping for home furnishings earlier this month.
Although Christina has already had one baby shower at her Beverly Hills home, where she received blue-themed gifts, a family insider tells PageSix.com, "Christina will be having a second baby shower at the Hotel Bel-Air with just her friends." The source also confirmed to PageSix.com that, "Christina has a C-section scheduled for January 10 but she might need to push the date of the delivery up."
Xtina likes the name Jackson Jake, but she and Jordan are also thinking about Max as a name for the baby.
The mommy-to-be also just celebrated a birthday, turning 27 on December 18th.
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We didn’t raise an eyebrow yesterday when we spotted Jamie Lynn Spears and mom Lynne in New York City taking in teen pregnancy flick Juno.
Now, OK! magazine reports that the 16-year-old is with child (and she's made up her mind: she's keeping her baby).
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