Simon Cowell secretly fathered a child with the wife of a close friend, and has been named as a co-respondent in the couple’s divorce papers. Lauren Silverman, 36, is 11 weeks pregnant with the music mogul’s baby after a months-long affair, and her husband, Andrew Silverman, has filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery. Cowell, 53, could be forced to testify and is said to be concerned about losing lucrative endorsement deals. The Silvermans had both been friends with the X Factor judge, vacationing with him last year on his yacht.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is investigating claims that Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M’s Heisman Trophy–winning quarterback, broke its rules by earning tens of thousands of dollars signing photos and sports memorabilia. ESPN reported that Manziel—known to Aggie fans as “Johnny Football”—earned a five-figure sum through an autograph broker earlier this year. If the NCAA finds that the 20-year-old accepted money, it could rule him ineligible to play next season. The charges follow several other reports of questionable off-season behavior by Manziel. The sophomore has developed a reputation for partying hard, and was sent home early from a training camp in June. Manziel’s father told ESPN that his son’s lifestyle could hurt his career. “It could all come unraveled,” he said, “and when it does, it’s gonna be bad. Real bad.”
The White Stripes singer Jack White has had a restraining order filed against him by his ex-wife Karen Elson. The pair split amicably in June 2011, but they have since fallen out over custody of their two children, ages 6 and 7. Elson claimed that White’s violent temper makes him unsuitable to care for his kids, and that he has harassed her with emails and texts. “Elson fears for her and the children’s safety as a result of this harassment,” said the suit. White has countersued Elson, claiming that the former supermodel is still in love with him and that she lied about his behavior. A custody hearing is set for later this month.