No 'Puppy Love' Lost Between Al Fayed & Anka

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Harrods department store magnate Mohamed Al Fayed wants long-ago teen idol Paul Anka's autobiography My Way pulled off the shelves, and is seeking punitive damages from the Lonely Boy crooner, Courthouse News Service reports.

The billionaire's decision to drop Anka, so to speak, has taken the form of a multiple count complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court, including claims alleging defamation, false light invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Al Fayed alleges My Way co-authors Anka and David Dalton, along with defendants St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Publishers, Holtzbrink Publishers, the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers and DMG Media, harmed him by portraying his late son, Dodi Al Fayed, as a cocaine-abusing, womanizing deadbeat who welched on a loan from Anka.

Dodi Al Fayed died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, along with Diana, Princess of Wales. Condemning My Way as sensationalized, the plaintiff's complaint accuses Anka of trading on Dodi Al Fayed's name and the public's fascination and love affair with Princess Diana to boost sales of his book. The complaint claims Anka wrote that he lent Dodi $150,000 after U.S. Customs Agents allegedly seized money Dodi purportedly tried to smuggle into the States. The complaint alleges that Mohamed Al Fayed covered the sum that Dodi failed to repay, which the book purportedly portrays as "hush money" paid to Anka when he called the plaintiff and allegedly threatened to go to the police.

My Way was serialized last March, excerpts of which appeared in The Daily Mail newspaper in the U.K. Generally speaking, the dead can't be libeled, so Mohamed claims My Way harms his reputation by falsely suggesting he was "in agreement with Anka's outrageous assessment of Dodi's purported poor character as a criminal, womanizing, drug-using deadbeat who lived beyond his means and who had to have 'Daddy' come to his rescue, even to the extent of an alleged willingness to pay 'hush money.'"

Don't expect to hear Put Your Head on My Shoulders or Having My Baby piped into Harrods' elevators anytime soon.

Failed American Idol Warbler's Threats Not Idle: Files $120m Libel Suit

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An unsuccessful contestant on the 2002-2003 season of American Idol has filed a 45-page complaint in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, including counts alleging libel, false light invasion of privacy and conspiracy to commit product disparagement, seeking $120 million in damages against two law firms and two television companies, American Lawyer reports.

The case, Corey D. Clark v. E! Entertainment Television, Inc. et al. (Case No. 3:13-cv-00058), was filed by the litigious crooner/contestant who was ousted from the competition during Idol's second season for not disclosing to the show's producers his previous criminal record involving a misdemeanor arrest. In 2005, Clark boasted of an affair with former LA Lakers dancer, singer and Idol judge Paula Abdul while he was an Idol contestant, which prompted an internal investigation by Fox undertaken by two law firms that are defendants in the present suit.

The internal probe concluded Clark's claim was unsubstantiated, and the not-always-easy-to-understand Abdul was succinct in denying a tryst with Clark. The plaintiff contends he was defamed by what the complaint labels a "sham investigation" by the two law firms. The plaintiff  is suing E! Entertainment because of a program aired in January 2012 entitled E! True Hollywood Story: Paula Abdul, that he alleges imputed he was a liar.

In his complaint, Clark alleges the defendants' actions prompted Bungalo Records to stop promoting his debut album and led to backup singers and dancers who were to accompany him on live performances bailing on him.  Clark has a $40 million suit pending against Viacom Intl. and MTV Networks Enterprises regarding their coverage of his Idol departure and Abdul allegations. He also is one of a group of former Idol contestants alleging the show engaged in racially discriminatory practices in a complaint brought before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Rather than audition for American Idol, Clark might have done better on So You Think You're a Comedian, because "TUOL"'s crack legal team believes when the litigation concludes, he can try out for The Biggest Loser.