ITTY BITTY BITS: Common at tree lighting; Kimora's child support; Shaq files papers; Rihanna plugs nude pics; Snoop's GPS gig; black 'Cat' in London; new 'Frog' featurette.
*Kimora Lee Simmons practically snapped when a New York Post reporter asked about rumors of her ex Russell Simmons giving her $40,000 a month in child support for their two daughters. "I hate that. He has such a big mouth. It drives me crazy, and it makes me want to thump him in the side of his head . . . It's not accurate," she said, without offering further details. The Baby Phat designer, her new husband, Djimon Hounsou, and the kids -- Ming Lee, 9, Aoki Lee, 7, and 5-month-old Kenzo -- posed for a family portrait at their Saddle River, NJ, mansion.
*Shaquille O'Neal has filed legal documents attempting to negate his estranged wife from filing her legal separation papers in California. Shaunie filed for separation last month - just days after moving to California from Florida. The sudden move west is believed to be motivated by California's more liberal spousal support laws. According to TMZ.com, Shaq's lawyers filed legal docs, alleging Shaunie has no right to use the California divorce courts because they are residents of Florida.
*Don't be surprised if more naked pictures of Rihanna start popping up on the Internet. The 21-year-old, promoting her new album "Rated R," told London's The Sun: "Every woman should have naked pictures taken. In five years my body might not look like this! …When naked pictures I'd sent to a boyfriend were leaked this year I was so nervous and embarrassed that my mom was going to see them. But she reacted in the most surprising way. She just sent me a text saying, 'You're an adult now.' Basically saying, 'Welcome to the real world'. She says I'm a woman now so I have to handle things like an adult."
*Snoop Dogg has become the new voice of a satellite navigation system. TomTom's Global Positioning System has tapped the rapper to record audio directions for its GPS product. Users will hear the Long Beach native advising motorists to, "Keep left ahead, and you'll be bona fide" and "Turn around when possible and keep it 'G', ya d-i-g?"
*The 2008 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, which featured an African-American cast led by James Earl Jones as Big Daddy and Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama, opened Dec. 1 at the West End's Novello Theatre after previews from Nov. 21. Jones and Rashad reprise their roles for the limited run to April 10, 2010. Also in the cast are British actor Adrian Lester replacing Terrence Howard as Brick, while Broadway's Sanaa Lathan replaces Anika Noni Rose as Maggie.
*Speaking of Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Disney's first African American princess, the studio has just released a new featurette for "The Princess and the Frog," which features the magic of the villain Dr. Facilier (voiced by Keith David) and Mama Odie (voiced by Jenifer Lewis). The animated film, now playing in limited engagements in New York and Los Angeles, will be released nationwide on Dec. 11th. Watch the featurette below:
