Richie Sambora Is Heading Back to Rehab; Bon Jovi’s Tour Will Go On

Word has it that BON JOVI guitarist RICHIE SAMBORA is headed back to rehab.

–RadarOnline.com reports that Richie is checking into an unnamed facility “for exhaustion and to regain his sobriety.”  TMZ says he’s “fallen off the wagon” and made the decision to get himself under control on Wednesday.

–It’s unclear if Richie is actually IN rehab now . . . or if he’s just planning on doing it.

–Late last night, Bon Jovi released a statement saying that Richie would be taking a leave of absence from the band, but they did not give a reason.

–They said, quote, “Our support for Richie is absolute.  He is, and will remain, a member of Bon Jovi.  Although he will be absent from upcoming shows for the time being, we very much look forward to his healthy return.

–”In the meantime, we will keep our commitment to our fans and continue our tour.”

–Bon Jovi’s next show is tomorrow night in New Orleans.  They have concerts scheduled in North America up to May 22nd, and a 24-date European tour after that.

–There’s no word on how long Richie is expected to be out, or who’s replacing him on guitar.

Casey Abrams Was Eliminated from “American Idol” Last Night

–Casey was eliminated for good last night.  He was also eliminated five weeks ago, but the judges decided to use their one “save” to keep him in the competition.

–Casey hasn’t been in the Bottom Three since the save .

–For whatever reason, there was no Bottom Three last night.  RYAN SEACREST just revealed the “safe” contestants one by one until only Casey was left.

The “American Idol” Tour Dates Have Been Announced

This summer’s “American Idols Live!” tour itinerary been revealed.  There will be 45 shows . . . No Indy date yet.  Chicago or St. Louis are the closest cities if you want to road trip.

–Usually, the Top 10 contestants participate in the tour.  But this year, they made it the Top 11 after the judges used their “save” early on CASEY ABRAMS.

Katy Perry Is Suing an Australian Tabloid for Claiming She Had an Affair with a Music Producer

KATY PERRY is suing an Australian tabloid called “NW” for claiming that she cheated on husband RUSSELL BRAND with a music producer.

–The tabloid said Katy messed around with producer Benny Blanco while he mixed “California Gurls”.  One of the problems with the story, however, is that Blanco didn’t produce “California Gurls”.

–In her lawsuit, Katy says she has been, quote, “gravely injured in her reputation and feelings [and] has suffered distress, embarrassment and humiliation” as a result of the article.  There’s no word how much she’s asking for.

Paris Hilton Was Headed to Court to Testify Against One Stalker . . . When Another Stalker Tried to Attack Her Boyfriend

PARIS HILTON and her boyfriend Cy Waits were on their way into a Los Angeles courthouse yesterday when some guy tried to either grab or hit Cy.  The guy actually got a hand on Cy’s neck, but was quickly pulled away by security.

–Here’s what’s kind of crazy about the situation:  Paris was going to court to testify against a stalker . . . and the man who attacked Cy also has a history of stalking Paris.

–The defendant in yesterday’s court hearing was Nathan Parada.  He’s the man who tried to get into Paris’ house last August.  Cy ended up holding him at GUNPOINT until police arrived.

–Meanwhile, the attacker outside the courthouse was James Rainford.  Last October, he snuck onto Paris’ property and got into an altercation with her private security.  He ended up with three years’ probation for it.

–After yesterday’s attack, Rainford was handed over to cops.  He reportedly repeated to them what he told the press, that he’d proposed to Paris recently and she accepted . . . and that her father had also given him permission to marry her.

Kate Hudson and Matt Bellamy Are Engaged

KATE HUDSON and her baby-daddy, MATT BELLAMY of MUSE, got engaged last week.

–During an interview on the “Today” show yesterday, MATT LAUER noticed a rock on Kate’s finger.  And she told him, quote, “I’m engaged!  It just happened a week ago.  I’m so glad you noticed.

–”I haven’t really announced it . . . I was waiting for someone to notice.”

–She didn’t say how Matt proposed, but she said, quote, “It was very sweet.  It was very romantic.”

The “Star” Has Apologized to Katie Holmes for Running a Bogus Headline Suggesting She Was Addicted to Drugs

The not-always-reliable “Star” tabloid has apologized to KATIE HOLMES for a cover story they ran a few months ago suggesting she’s a drug addict.  Obviously, the story was BOGUS, and Katie sued for $50 million.

–The apology appears in the May 9th issue of the “Star”.

–Katie’s attorney called this, quote, “a lesson to other tabloids that if they print false and defamatory stories about Katie, she will stand up for her legal rights.”