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H.O.T. Updates: Gary Dourdan, Vanilla Iced, Nick Hogan and Shia LaBeouf

Time for some Hollywood on Trial updates in attempt to keep you, the reading public, informed about the latest Hollywood transgressions.

Vanilla Ice - On April 29, Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney Tonya Vu Shepherd dropped all domestic battery charges against the rapper. Ice (nee Robert Van Winkle) had been in jail since April 10 when he was arrested after allegedly striking his wife, Laura Van Winkle. Laura called 911 and claimed he pushed, struck, and kicked her during an argument. When police arrived at the scene, she denied that he had hit her, but rather had simply pushed her. Nonetheless, Ice was arrested.

According to the official court document, the reason given for the dismissal of the case was "insufficient credible evidence" to move forward with criminal charges since Laura recanted her statement and there were no eyewitnesses at the scene.

On May 7, a little over one week later, the 911 call placed by Laura Van Winkle was released to the public. During the call Ice can be heard telling his wife he is "sorry" for what he did to her. He also threatened to kill himself. When his wife asks him if he is going to use the shotgun he tells her that he is going to use his motocross bike. She practically taunts him when she relays the message to the 911 dispatcher that "He's going to kill himself with his teeny weeny bike."

Gary Dourdan - This past Tuesday, the soon to be ex-star of the hit television series C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation was formally charged with...

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Uma Thurman's Week from Hell: A Stalker, A Lawsuit, Poor Box Office, and Bad Film Reviews

Actress Uma Thurman has experienced more in one week than most people would care to deal with in a single lifetime.

On Tuesday, the Kill Bill star's stalker, Jack Jordan, was convicted for stalking and aggravated harassment. Two days later, French make-up giant Lancome filed a preemptory lawsuit against her. All of this comes on the heels of her most recent movie release, The Life Before Her Eyes, which has been a dud at the box office and a critical bomb as well. That film was preceded by her 2006 critical bomb/box office failure, Super Ex-Girlfriend.

On Wednesday, Thurman, 38, received some good news when her stalker, Jack Jordan, was convicted of stalking and aggravated harassment. Thurman had given tearful testimony in court earlier describing how she feared Jordan would escalate his attention toward her. Jordan, 37, apparently became obsessed with the actress five years ago and had a strong urge to meet with her in person, so as to woo her and win her affection.

Jordan made good on his promise in 2005, when he showed up on the set of Thurman's Super Ex-Girlfriend, which had been filming in Manhattan. According to the Washington Post, he "hand-delivered to her trailer a card that showed a stick figure balanced on a razor blade, over a grave," as well as a postcard that said, "My hands should be on your body at all times." He apparently also mentioned her "children and claimed that they didn't exist."

Jordan had also gotten a hold of Thurman's father's e-mail address and began sending him messages as if he were addressing Ms. Thurman. Jordan's unwanted attentions eventually escalated to the point that...

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Saturday Night Live Alum Cheri O'Teri's Father Murdered by Country Music Songwriter

Sometimes I am drawn to a story of murder because it involves a family member of a famous celebrity. The murder of a loved one somehow manages to make celebrities seem more like you or me. They, too, unfortunately, are just as susceptible to pain and heartache as the rest of us. Cases such as the murder of Bill Cosby's son, Ennis Cosby, or Michael Jordan's father, James Jordan, bring this harsh realization home.

Such was the case last week when I heard about former beloved Saturday Night Live comedienne Cheri Oteri and the murder of her father, Gaetano Thomas "Tom" Oteri. As a fan of Cheri Oteri's work on SNL, from her "Simm'a Down" character to a sexual nymphomaniacal Barbara Walters to her over-exuberant Spartan cheerleader played opposite Will Ferrell, Oteri always made me laugh. That is why the thought of her suffering the pain of the murder of her father affected me so deeply.

Though the celebrity angle is what caught my eye, the details of the case are endlessly fascinating and merit attention here simply based on the facts alone, regardless of the players.

Tom Oteri, 69, shared a home with his friend and musical collaborator, Richard "Rich" Fagan, 61, in Nashville, Tennessee. Fagan is an extremely successful songwriter who has penned two #1 hits for country singer John Michael Montgomery, "Be My Baby Tonight" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)," as well as another #1 song for Clay Walker, entitled "Only on Days That End in Y." Fagan had several more Top Ten hits for Montgomery and also wrote several songs for such artists as diverse as Neil Diamond, Shania Twain, The Blues Brothers Band, George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., The Kingsmen, and George Jones.

According to the Fagan and Oteri's mutual website, the duo met around 1975. Fagan, a Vietnam vet and ant-war protestor was discharged in 1968. He became a "homeless vagabond" who divorced in 1975. Afterwards he turned to drugs and alcohol and remained homeless. It was about this time he ran into Tom Oteri, a "Philadelphia music entrepreneur."

Oteri was considered a saint by many people as well as a "person of peace." According to Oteri's biography, he was the 1998-99 recipient of "The Caring Touch Award," in Nashville for his work with a local hospice program.

According to the bio, "When Fagan was down and out, it was Tommy who took him in and put him on a path to songwriting stardom. I know Rich would be first to credit Tommy for that transformation."

According to Fagan's own bio, Oteri had invited Fagan to come down to his recording studio to record some tunes. Fagan promptly showed up two hours late and was as drunk as a skunk. Oteri laughed and said, "I like the act so far. If he can sing, we're taking him with us."

The two men became collaborators and fast friends. Oteri would be there for his buddy for over thirty years. The only binding agreement the two men ever made with one another were matching tattoos of two hands shaking.

The most recent developments of this case came about slowly.

At approximately 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, Fagan was pulled over on Dickerson Pike by a Nashville police officer for "riding on three tires." Fagan failed a sobriety test and...

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Photo's Courtesy of Nashville Police Deparment