‘You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime,’ actor says

NEW YORK - Matt Damon has been named the "sexiest man alive" by People magazine, an honor that has been bestowed twice on his pals George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

The 37-year-old actor is featured on the cover of People's annual issue, on newsstands Friday. Damon, who is married to Luciana Bozan, said the honor came as a surprise.

"You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime," he says in a letter published in the magazine. "My 9-year-old stepdaughter now thinks I'm cool — well, cooler."

Damon, who has a 1-year-old daughter, Isabella, with Bozan, says "all the campaigning" by Clooney and Pitt had finally paid off.

"Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fundraisers, the stump speeches, I've finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn't meant to hold," he says in the letter, which was signed "Matty."

"Don't get me wrong, though. I was really shocked and happy (Lucy said I actually blushed) when I heard the news. So I can't thank you enough for that."

People's "sexiest man alive" list began in 1985 with Mel Gibson. Others on the list: Clooney (1997 and 2006), Pitt (1995 and 2000), Denzel Washington (1996) and Johnny Depp (2003).

Damon won a screenwriting Oscar with Ben Affleck in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting." Both Damon and Affleck starred in the movie.

He has also starred in "The Departed," "Syriana," the "Ocean's" franchise with Clooney and Pitt, and "The Bourne Identity" and its two sequels.

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Lindsay Lohan spends 84 minutes in jail
‘She was cooperative,’ says sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore

Lindsay Lohan was a jailbird for just 84 minutes Thursday, becoming the latest celebrity to serve less than a day for a drunken driving offense.

Lohan, 21, turned herself in to the Los Angeles County women’s detention center in Lynwood at 10:30 a.m. She was searched, fingerprinted and placed in a holding cell in the inmate reception area but got to keep her street clothes, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

“She was cooperative,” he said.

Lohan was released at 11:54 a.m. Her original daylong sentence was reduced because she met criteria that took into account overcrowding at the lockup and the fact that her crime was nonviolent, Whitmore said.

Did the celebrity receive special treatment?

“Absolutely not. This is what we do for most everybody in this position,” Whitmore said. In fact, 30 to 50 women are granted early releases from the facility every day, he added.

An e-mailed message seeking comment from Lohan’s publicist was not immediately returned.

In May, the star of “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday” was arrested after crashing her Mercedes-Benz into a tree in Beverly Hills. She was arrested again in July after the mother of Lohan’s former personal assistant called 911 to report that her car was being chased by an SUV. The chase ended in Santa Monica, where police arrested Lohan for being behind the wheel. In both cases, Lohan was found in possession of small amounts of cocaine.

In August, she reached a plea deal on misdemeanor drunken driving and cocaine charges stemming from the arrests. The judge sentenced her to four days in jail — the mandatory minimum for a second drunken-driving offense — but gave her credit for 24 hours already served. She elected to complete 10 days of community service instead of 48 hours behind bars.

The total deal called for her to enter treatment, spend a day in jail and perform community service.

“It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs,” Lohan said in a statement released by her publicist in August.

Lohan had until Jan. 18 to serve the jail time.

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Willi.i.am to fill in for Kanye at fashion show
West pulls out of Victoria’s Secret performance after death of his mother

NEW YORK - Kanye West has pulled out of a performance at the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show following the death of his mother last weekend.

Gabe Tesoriero, publicist for the 29-year-old rapper, declined further comment.

The show, set to air Dec. 4 on CBS, was taping at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday. Will.i.am was filling in for West, said Hillary Siskind, publicist for the Black Eyed Peas frontman.
The Spice Girls were scheduled to make their debut reunion performance on the show.

West’s mother, Donda West, 58, died Saturday night at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Marina del Rey after she stopped breathing. She had undergone cosmetic surgery Friday in Los Angeles and had gone home.

An autopsy was conducted, but an official cause of death won’t be made for at least 1½ months, pending further tests, the coroner’s office has said.

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