Prince has angered the music industry and stirred up trouble among British retailers by giving away his new album with a tabloid newspaper this weekend.
Planet Earth will be packaged with the Mail on Sunday at a price of $2.80.
The giveaway has been roundly criticized as a major blow for an industry already facing rapidly declining CD sales. It has led Sony BMG U.K., Prince's local label, to pull the plug on its own sales release of the CD in Britain.
Also fueling retailers' ire is what they see as a traitorous move by one of their own. After initially harshly criticizing Prince and the deal, music and books retailer HMV, which doesn't normally sell newspapers, decided to sell the Mail on Sunday in its 400-plus stores across the country.
Rival retailers were outraged.
"We're stunned that HMV has decided to take what appears to be a complete U-turn on their stance," said Simon Douglas, managing director of retail at Virgin Megastores. "It's not only retailers that suffer; the public will suffer in the long term by restricting choice on the high street."
Bye-bye Diddy
Kim Porter says she dumped Diddy.
"After 10 years, I have decided to end my on-again/off-again relationship with Sean 'Diddy' Combs," Porter said in a statement Wednesday to syndicated entertainment TV show The Insider.
"In ending this relationship, I made a decision that was in the best interest of myself, Sean and our family. I look forward to moving on with my life and my career and wish him prosperity, health and happiness in life and in love," the 35-year-old model said. "We will remain friends and committed parents to our children."
Porter and Combs have three children: a 9-year-old son, Christian, and 6-month-old twin daughters, D'Lila Star and Jessie James.
The 37-year-old rap mogul announced their split earlier this week.
He has another son, Justin, with ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim.
Soon-to-be Sheen
Charlie Sheen is engaged.
His bride-to-be is Brooke Mueller, a real estate investor, Sheen's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, said yesterday.
Rosenfield said Sheen, 41, proposed to Mueller, 29, during a recent trip to Costa Rica. He said the couple met in April 2006.
Sheen has two daughters, Sam, 3, and Lola, 2, from his marriage to Denise Richards. They divorced last year.
He stars in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. His screen credits include Platoon and the Hot Shots! movies.