Robert Pattinson shot to fame playing vampire Edward Cullen in 'Twilight,' and now genealogists are claiming the star is a distant relative of Vlad the Impaler, widely believed to have inspired the fanged title character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Associated Press says researchers at Ancestry.com have connected Pattinson and the Transylvanian ruler through their relationship to the British royal family; the site claims Pattinson is a distant cousin of Princes Harry and William, who are distant nephews of Vlad the Impaler. "Tracing Pattinson's family back to Vlad was difficult research, but the pieces that unraveled created the perfect accompaniment to 'The Twilight Saga,'" said Anastasia Tyler, a genealogist at Ancestry.com. "Without any myth or magic, we find royalty and vampires lurking in Pattinson's life -- making his story just as supernatural as the one he's playing on screen." Read More »

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton set the standard for Hollywood romance -- now their legendary tale of love, divorce and remarriage is being immortalized in the new book, Furious Love. The tome is written by husband and wife team Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, who spoke to ET about their celebrity lovers tale. Taylor herself gave access to never-before-seen materials to the duo during their research, including Burton's love letters to her. They were also given an unpublished first draft of Taylor's 1965 autobiography, plus a portfolio of the screen icon's favorite personal photographs, which are reproduced in the book. Read More »

'Men in Black' actor Rip Torn is looking well after recovering his sobriety in rehab, and ET has the details. This new picture of the 79-year-old star was taken by his actress/director daughter Angelica in Torn's New York home. The photo was snapped after Torn completed two months of a self-elected regimen in a Connecticut rehab center. "The Larry Sanders Show" star and Academy Award nominee was arrested last January under bizarre circumstances -- he was charged with breaking into a Connecticut bank while intoxicated and carrying a firearm. Read More »

Scott Hamilton, who won the gold in Men's Figure Skating at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, has undergone brain surgery in Boston. Hamilton underwent surgery on Wednesday in order to remove the recurrence of a benign tumor. A rep for the former Olympian told ET that Hamilton is now resting comfortably and is expected to make a full recovery. "He and his family are so thankful to the doctors and surgical team for taking such good care of him and grateful to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. He continues to be a champion in every facet of his life," Hamilton's rep says. Read More »

ET confirms that Lawrence Taylor has been indicted on charges in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl. The former pro-footballer faces charges of rape, criminal sexual act and sexual abuse, stemming from his May 6 arrest. He was also indicted on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and patronizing a prostitute. The indictment alleges that he paid $300 to the girl after the alleged encounter. At the time of his arrest, the Ramapo Police Department told ET that the alleged crime took place at the Holidome Hotel in Montebello, New York. Read More »

Former "The Bachelor" Jake Pavelka explains his side of his break-up with former fiancée Vienna Girardi, the woman he proposed to in front of millions of TV viewers. Pavelka tells People magazine in a new interview that he feels betrayed by Girardi. He tells People that Girardi craved fame, saying, "She was watching these doors open for me, and it was causing an intense amount of jealousy." According to People, Pavelka says he financially supported Girardi while she slept in "until 10:30 a.m. every day" and that he was the one to pull the plug on the relationship, over the phone. He tells People, "In my mind it’s over," when it comes to any hope of a reconciliation. Read More »

Erik Estrada hit the streets of New York City Tuesday, where hundreds of New Yorkers "got sighted" by the "healthy eye officer" for not protecting their eyes. Estrada joined forces with Transitions Optical to help raise awareness for eye health and properly protecting one's eyes from potentially harmful sunlight rays. Dressed in full uniform, the iconic former "CHiPs" star patrolled the streets of the Big Apple to hand out violations such as "Visual Abandonment" and "Indecent Exposure." Read More »

In a new interview, the mother of Joran van der Sloot offered an apology to the parents of the woman allegedly killed by her son. In an interview Dutch news station The Telegraph, obtained by ABC News, Anita van der Sloot spoke candidly about her son and his purported troubles. "I hope that he gets a chance to talk with the parents of Stephany Flores, and that he can tell them what happened. And I apologize for them ... that he's my son. He's not a monster. He can be very gentle, but it could be that he has bipolar personality. I hope he gets the help," she said in the interview. Read More »

A judge is allowing Nicole Richie more time to finish her alcohol education classes. Court records indicate that a judge extended Richie's probation until next March and ordered her to complete her classes by next February. In July 2007, the former "Simple Life" reality star pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge. Read More »

Joran van der Sloot has reportedly told a Dutch newspaper that it is his own fault that he's in a Peruvian prison, saying that he believes that the FBI lured him to Peru in order to extradite him to the United States on extortion charges. Joran is the main suspect in the killing of 21-year-old Stephany Flores in Lima, and is also a person of interest in the 2005 disappearance of American Natalee Holloway in Aruba. He has also been charged with extorting $25,000 from Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty. According to ABC News, van der Sloot told the De Telegraaf that he was invited to a poker tournament in Lima, Peru by a man named "Garcia." This is where he met Flores. "Garcia arranged and paid for everything for me. Looking back, I can't believe I let myself be lured. I hardly knew that guy. It was just ... Read More »