Sideshow: Stars mourn Heavy D at private N.Y. funeral

Heavy D was mourned at a star-studded private funeral Friday attended by Jay-Z, Will Smith, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Usher, Queen Latifah, and Don King.

President Obama sent a letter addressed to the hip-hop star's 11-year-old daughter, Xea Myers, which was read by the Rev. Al Sharpton at the service at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, N.Y.

Heavy D "will be remembered for his infectious optimism and many contributions to American music," Obama wrote.

Diddy called Heavy D a true friend, "somebody that's been there for me at my lowest point, my darkest hour."

Heavy D, 44, died last week in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia.

Thousands of fans paid respects at the church during open calling hours Thursday.

What's the state of the dis-union chez Demi and Ashton

?

Their public images have changed. By filing for divorce from her cheatin' man, Demi has earned the respect of a nation. As she told the nation, she left Ash because "there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred."

Once a lovable dork, Ashton Kutcher is now "a despicable dude," FoxNews.com says. Of greater significance: Who is worth more?

Ash rakes in $12 mil a year, including $700,000 a show on Two and a Half Men, Forbes journalist Dorothy Pomerantz tells E!News. Demi makes only $5 mil a year. Worse, since she's over the hill by Tinseltown standards, her earning potential is quite low.

Philly's most imposing contribution to opera - bass baritone Eric Owens - makes his debut hosting a Metropolitan Opera simulcast Saturday in Philip Glass' opera about Mohandas Gandhi, Satyagraha. He also will conduct intermission interviews.

The simulcast is at 12:55 p.m. Saturday at eight area theaters, with an encore transmission on Dec. 7. Information: www.metopera.org or www.fathomevents.com.

- David Patrick Stearns

Scarlett Johansson, 26, will make her directorial debut with an adaptation of Truman Capote's coming-of-age novel Summer Crossing, Variety says. . . . Leaving Las Vegas beauty Elisabeth Shue is going back to Sin City to join CBS's CSI as an investigator with anger issues who has a history with lab boss Ted Danson. . . . Showtime has renewed its Michael C. Hall-starring serial-killers-are-people-too drama, Dexter, for two more seasons.