Tattle: Applegate in cancer fight

IT'S BEEN a crappy summer for

Christina Applegate

.

At the start of July, her boyfriend, Lee Grivas, was found dead in his apartment of an apparent drug overdose.

Now, at the start of August, the star of "Married with Children," Broadway's "Sweet Charity" and the hit sitcom "Samantha Who?" is being treated for breast cancer.

Fortunately, the disease was caught early and Christina is expected to fully recover.

Christina's cancer was detected through an MRI ordered by her doctor and is not life-threatening, publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement.

Christina is slated to appear on "Stand Up To Cancer," to air on ABC, CBS and NBC on Sept. 5 to raise funds for cancer research.

* In other health news, comedian Bernie Mac remains in a Chicago hospital where his publicist said he is reportedly responding well to treatment for pneumonia.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday that Mac was in "very, very critical" condition.

Mac's publicist Danica Smith said via e-mail that that report was "some bad info."

Directing 'American Teen'

While Variety has said that there's something "artificially heightened" and "suspiciously rigged" about Nanette Burstein's documentary "American Teen," the director told Daily News film critic, Gary Thompson, that there's nothing artificial or rigged about it.

Burstein said she came by the footage the hard way - spending months and months with the four teenagers she profiles in the film, slowly gaining their trust (and the trust of the parents who allowed them to be filmed).

"When you see them up at two in the morning, talking or crying or sharing gossip, we're right there with them," said Burstein, also co-director of the popular documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture."

Burstein said that given how close she became with the teens, it was difficult to remain purely objective, or merely a fly on the wall.

"I'd say I became like a big sister to some of them," she said. "When they were having a problem, I was certainly willing to provide advice. I hope it was good advice."

"America Teen" is playing at the Ritz Bourse and at the Showcase in Voorhees.

LiLo to make it official?

Lindsay has said very little about her relationship with Samantha Ronson, but News of the World's Rav Singh says that LiLo and Sam will soon "tie the knot."

Rav says that Lindsay will come out and declare her love for Sam at a private ceremony later this year.

Rav says that Lindsay's mom Dina wants to "welcome Sam into the family" with a big party, and that Lindsay has chosen a white Chanel mini-dress for the occasion.

"They've been keeping the relationship quiet for months and trying to pass each other off as 'just good friends,' " said the requisite anonymous source, "but they've decided it isn't a fling, it's for life - so they want to make their romance public."

Lindsay want a romance public? Go figure.

* Following Lindsay's back-and-forth with L.A. police chief William Bratton this weekend over her alleged gay-ness, Bratton responded to Lindsay's comment to mind his own business by saying his sister is gay and he is a proponent of gay rights.

We sure hope his sister had come out before that remark.

Tattbits

* A judge in the Turks and Caicos islands has released on bond "Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky and "America's Next Top Model" contestant Bianca Golden in connection with a recent catfight fistfight.

Prosecutors say that Nikki and Bianca were aboard a flight in the Caribbean nation when they started fighting over an occupied seat. Nikki's dad was also charged in the fight, and will remain in jail until Aug. 8.

* John McCain said last week that his campaign ad mocking Barack Obama with images of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears was an attempt to inject humor into the presidential race.

Not funny, said Paris's mom, Kathy Hilton.

"It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs," Kathy said in a short article posted on the liberal Huffington Post Web site. "And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next president of the United States."

Kathy called the ad "a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign."

She should know. She and hubby Rick gave $4,600 to McCain's campaign earlier this year. *

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

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