A photographer, Jay Kaycappa, convicted of assaulting Heather Mills won an appeal Tuesday because Mills didn’t attend a court hearing.

The prosecutor told the court that Mills could not be there because she was somewhere in the U.S. However, Judge Richard Brown said he had received a document from a doctor saying Mills was suffering from stress.

Typical Mills. She won’t even show up unless she thinks she’s going to win some money. Another waste of the court’s time, and tax payer money, by Heather Mills. She should have to pay the court costs.

Kenny Chesney, who has won the Entertainer of the Year award four years in a row, criticized the voting process for the award on Sunday after he accepted the award onstage. Backstage Chesney told reporters:

"I don’t think it’s right that they pick the one award that means the most, that all the artists sacrifice the most for."

Despite the criticisms Chesney had a big banner on his MySpace page that said "bring it home for KC," urging fans to vote for him. The page included links to the academy’s online page and messages from fans lower on the page.

Chesney made clear Sunday night that his criticism was an industry complaint about the process for one award, not a dig at his fans or at the awards show overall. It was the first time in the show’s 43 years that the top prize was decided by a fan vote.

Chesney added:

"They’ve taken it from what the award really represents (and turned it) into a sweepstakes to see who can push people’s buttons the hardest on the Internet."

If he really disagreed with it, then Chesney should have refused to play the game. Since he did play the game, he sounds hypocritical.

Joaquin Phoenix (33) said he had to miss the premiere of his movie Two Lovers at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday due to the flu. Phoenix never even went to Cannes at all. He had to instead be admitted to the hospital to be hydrated with IV fluids. His rep, Susan Patricola, said:

"Joaquin has the stomach flu. He had his dog boarded, his tux in hand but couldn’t even sit on the plane. He did go to the hospital to get hydrated, hoping he could get on the plane, but he didn’t stay there. He was so sick, and so sorry he couldn’t be there with everyone."

The Two Lovers director, James Gray, said:

"He wanted to come. I said ’No, go to the doctor and see what he says.’ Sadly he followed my advice and they put him in the hospital."

It’s a good thing Phoenix took Gray’s advice. We don’t need anymore celebrities working themselves to death.

It took six years for the R. Kelly case to be brought to court, and it’s already off to a rocky start. The jury was dismissed today after one juror was removed. WBBM reports:

The juror who was replaced told Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan that sitting on the panel would leave her unable to pay her bills. Asked whether her financial worries would cause her to not pay attention during the trial, the juror said, "Very much so."

When the jury reconvenes they might get to see the now famous video tape showing Kelly having a threesome with two women, one of whom was underage.

Pete Doherty played a soccer tournament with his band Babyshambles. Amy Winehouse, Pete’s son Astile, and Pixie Geldof (17), came along. After Peaches Geldof got into trouble for drugs, you’d think Pixie would be forbidden to hang around druggies like Pete and Amy.

Due to the media attention Pete gets, he was allowed to change clothes in the chairman’s office. Some told a security guards Pete was trying to take a trophy, which he was, but not to steal it. The security guard caught Pete peeing in the club trophy cup. He has no respect.

Amazingly, Babyshambles made it all the way to the finals, but lost to another band called Faithless.