Paparazzi Photo

Britney Spears was super-paranoid that her hair contained traces of the hardcore drugs she was using -- and that's why she SHAVED IT ALL OFF during her infamous 2007 meltdown ... at least according to Sam Lutfi.

Sam's lawyer, Joseph Schleimer, has been telling the court ... Britney was a serious drug-abuser ... who had a penchant for crystal meth.

Schleimer suggested Britney was concerned that a judge would test her hair for drugs -- and when it turned up positive, she would lose custody of her kids.

So, Britney ... being Britney ... believed that if she chopped off her hair, she could beat the drug test ... at least that's what Lutfi's lawyer is implying.

Mildred shamelessly brought the book out to a cafe in Bakersfield yesterday -- in full view of a photog who just happened to be there -- where she may have finally learned that the steamiest parts of her affair were CHOPPED from the final version.

Seriously ... when Arnold brings up Mildred in "Recall," he goes from "she worked in the house" right to "when she gave birth to the kid" ... completely blowing off the dirty details of the courtship.

Here's the exact passage:

"Mildred had been working in our household for 5 years and all of the sudden we were alone in the guest house.

When Mildred gave birth the following August, she named the baby Joseph."

Rupert Sanders has proven ... you CAN bang a hot Hollywood actress behind your wife's back and still make it all good again ... and we have the pics to prove it.

Rupert and Liberty Ross shared a great big HUG after leaving a counseling session in Beverly Hills Wednesday. We broke the story ... just weeks after the Kristen Stewart cheating scandal broke, Liberty and Rupert were seeing the counselor.

We also told you ... Liberty went to see a divorce lawyer after the story broke but she has not pulled the trigger and wants to save the marriage.

Our sources say Liberty has laid down some ground rules for any reconciliation ... which includes an extramarital banging ban.

Judging by the hug, it seems they're making some serious progress ... but neither Rupert nor Liberty was wearing a wedding ring at the time of the embrace. They arrived and left separately.

Seems to be the season for forgiveness ... just a few days ago, Robert Pattinson was photographed hangin' out with Kristen.

"90210" star Shannen Doherty HAS A BUN IN THE OVEN -- but it's not the baby kind ... it's the burger kind.

Rumors have been swirling today after a photo of Shannen emerged ... in which her stomach was a little more accentuated than usual.

But the actress says there's DEFINITELY NOT a baby in her belly ... just lunch.

She wrote, "I'm a size 2, not sporting a baby bump. That's simply the hamburger I wolfed down 2 minutes prior."

Shannen's little bundle of joy is expected to be delivered in the next couple of hours.

The new woman in Mel's life is Ashley Cusato ... an actress and stuntwoman who's actually been featured as a stunt double for big stars like Emily Deschanel and Denise Richards.

Sources close to the actor tell us ... the two have been dating for about a month -- and things are going so well, Mel has already introduced her to several members of his family.

In fact, sources close to la familia Gibson tell us ... they LOVE her and are convinced she's gonna be around for a long, long time.

The judge in Halle Berry's custody case -- in which she is asking for permission to take Nahla to Paris permanently -- is ready to rule, and the decision could come down this week ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the case tell us ... lawyers for both sides have wrapped their case and the judge has been noodling over his decision.

Sources say the judge has told both sides, he does NOT want to send them a written decision. He wants both sides to appear in court so he can tell them all at once what he's decided.

Halle, we're told, is frustrated because she wants to get on with her life, but it looks like she won't have a long wait. Our sources say the decision could come down Friday -- IF the judge can get everyone together.

Rob and Kristen were spotted leaving a restaurant with a group of friends Monday afternoon -- never holding hands ... but standing mere feet from each other.

This was the 2nd time in 24 hours they were seen together around L.A. ... just 3 months after Kristen admitted cheating with director Rupert Sanders -- but, even more telling, exactly one month before the release of the last "Twilight" movie. Hmm ...

Kanye West got mad ... real mad (Joe Jackson) ... at a paparazzi in Miami last night ... after the snapper fired off some questions about Kim's ex-BF Reggie Bush.

Kanye and Kim Kardashian were leaving a dinner date in Miami Beach, when the photog -- NOT OURS -- shouted, "Kim did you know Reggie is here [in Miami] having dinner?"

The pap continued, "Did you wanna go congratulate him on his pregnancy?"

That's when Kanye snapped -- angrily rushing after the female pap after grasping for her camera -- but never actually striking the woman. Kim was smiling during the entire confrontation.

K&K then got into a waiting Rolls Royce Phantom and left the scene.

Afterward, the pap told other photogs, "Kanye West just tried to beat me up."

It definitely ain't the first time Kanye's gone crazy on a snapper -- trust us, we know ... 'cause he SMASHED THE HELL out of a TMZ camera at LAX back in 2008.

Honey Boo Boo and Mama June are coming to TMZ Live Monday. We're excited, so we got to thinkin'...

Not every judge on "American Idol" wants to shoot Mariah Carey (yet) ... the diva had dinner last night in the Valley with the dawg himself, Randy Jackson.

It seems Lindsay Lohan has been UNBANNED from the Chateau Marmont ... 'cause she returned to the legendary L.A. hotel last night ... months after she was kicked out for stiffing the place on a $46k bill.

As TMZ first reported, Lohan got the heave-ho earlier this year after she ran up a crazy $46,350.04 tab on a 47 day bender that included 49 packs of cigarettes and more than $3k in minibar items.

LiLo had told friends the producers of her upcoming Lifetime movie, "Liz and Dick," had agreed to pay her bill ... but our sources say that was never the case.

Hold on to your Manolos, because Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York Goldenblatt reunited last night at a gay bar in New York City West Hollywood.

After attending an amfAR benefit earlier in the evening, "Sex and the City" fashionistas Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis hit up the ever popular Abbey for some late night cosmos and girl talk surrounded by some of their biggest fans.

When you're in NYC, you never know who you're going to run into ... like Ethan Hawke and Katie Holmes.

Ethan was hanging out on his stoop with his adorable daughter Indiana on Thursday, when who should just happen to be walking by but none other than Suri Cruise's mom. Don't you just love when that happens?

The two actors -- who both live in the Chelsea neighborhood -- chatted each other up for a bit before Katie went on her merry way.

In just a matter of hours, Khloe Kardashian went from a makeup-free natural woman to a polished and shellacked glowing orange babe in Miami.

Early on Wednesday, the sleepy and blemished 28-year-old soon-to-be "X Factor" host was spotted au naturel heading to the gym ... but just a little while later Kim's little sis was almost unrecognizable.

Her transformation -- refurbished weave, spray tanned skin, and the girls pushed up and into a form fitting strapless dress -- was nothing short of awesome.

Michael Phelps and his magical putter arrived at LAX yesterday -- along with a bunch of other relatively useless bags -- wrapping up his remarkable trip to Scotland.

In case you missed it, the world's greatest Olympian drained the longest putt ever recorded on video, 153 feet, while playing at Dunhill Links Championship last week.

Unofficially, the putt also marks Phelps' greatest achievement on land.

As if he wasn't talented enough, opera singer Andrea Bocelli showed off how fearless he is by in-line skating in Tuscany, Italy on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old tenor -- who lost his sight at age 12 -- was spotted rolling alongside his wife as she rode her bike.

That's how he rolls.