Kim Kardashian denies cheating story, threatens to sue

By Myrddin Gwynedd

Herald online·

10 Jun, 2011 12:00 AM8 mins to read

Kim Kardashian. Photo / AP

Newly-engaged reality TV starlet

Kim Kardashian

is on the warpath over tabloid allegations that she cheated on fiancé

Kris Humphries

In Touch magazine

published a cover story this week that claimed the bride-to-be had a 5-month affair with hunky NFL star

Bret Lockett

while courting Humphries.

New Jersey Nets basketball player Humphries proposed to Kardashian in May, after six months of dating. The couple plan to get hitched later this year.

Scandal sheet

In Touch

boomed between its covers that Lockett and Kardashian allegedly embarked on a flirtatious texting relationship before and after she hooked up with her fiancée.

"I knew this was a game to her, and this is what she does," Lockett is quoted as saying.

The mag alleges that Kardashian asked a friend to get Lockett's number for her from his brother. He supposedly imparted with the digits and before long, "They chatted, and then they started texting each other."

TMZ reports that the reality star learned of the mag's plans to print the story on Monday, prompting her lawyer,

Dennis Roach

, to fire off a letter to

In Touch

, declaring that "for the record, none of the facts...are accurate."

He asked that

In Touch

"immediately refrain from publishing, distributing or disseminating any factually untrue and unsubstantiated information" and branded the allegations "at a minimum, damaging, defamatory and an invasion of her privacy."

In Touch

ran with the story regardless.

Kardashian is, not surprisingly, spitting tacks over the whole saga.

"This is absolutely not true," Kardashian

told E! News

. "I have no idea who this person is."

She later took to her blog to defend herself against the mag's allegations.

"I knew when I got engaged that rumors and false stories were going to start, but this is RIDICULOUS!!!!"

she wrote

"This guy should be ashamed of himself. Calling up a magazine and making up an entirely fake story in a sad attempt to ruin my relationship!?!?! It's just shameful and this guy should feel ashamed and humiliated. Is this your pathetic attempt for attention?

"I'll be damned if anyone, especially some loser I've never even met, is going to try to come between Kris and me...The tabloids and weekly magazines will do ANYTHING to sell copies, and in this case they decided to run a false story, knowing they had absolutely no proof that it was real. It's disgusting, and I will be taking legal action against InTouch magazine and Bret Lockett."

Lockett later

told TMZ

he has 'physical evidence' proving the alleged long-distance relationship. Yep, he claims the two never actually met, and conducted the relationship entirely via telephone.

"Lockett claims he has phone records, text messages and very personal cell phone pics of Kim," Lockett told the website in a video interview.

"At the end of the day, Kim knows what happened and I know what happened,' he said.

"Kim can deny this all she wants, but if she wants to go the legal route and start recalling text messages and conversations and pictures and all of that, then that's not a problem."

Kardashian's legal muscle has now fired off a letter to Lockett, demanding an apology and warning that a lawsuit will be filed if he does not retract his allegations.

The legal eagle writes in the letter: "To put it very plainly and clearly, and as Mr. Lockett knows, there is not now, and never has been such a relationship," adding, "Ms. Kardashian does not know and has never even met Mr. Lockett."

In Touch

, which published the claims under the headline 'STOP THE WEDDING! KIM CAUGHT CHEATING!' is also refusing to back down. "We stand by our story," a spokesperson says.

Protecting their assets

Meanwhile, I hear that Kardashian and her beau will sign a prenuptial agreement.

"Her mom,

Kris Jenner

, drew up the contracts," says a source. "Kim's Beverly Hills home and all of her assets are protected." Kardashian is rumoured to be worth a whopping $35 million. While Humphries is worth $8 million.

We're not talking peanuts here. So if the marriage hits the skids, Kardashian will want to make sure she holds on to her dough. Which she will, according to

US Weekly

"He does not receive anything if the marriage fails. He agreed to that. He's not worried."

This will be the second marriage for Kardashian, who was wed to music producer

Damon Thomas

from 2000 to 2004.

Incidentally, Kardashian is

still wearing her engagement finger bling

- that $2 million whopper. I think that's for your benefit, mister Lockett.

No serious relationship for Penn

Tongues have been wagging ever since

Sean Penn

and

Scarlett Johansson

ended their brief dalliance recently.

It was one of Hollywood's most scrutinised relationships. Penn, 50, and Johansson, 26, hooked up in February, not long after she and husband

Ryan Reynolds

filed for divorce.

A source

confirmed to People

last week that the couple were no more. The news followed fevered gum-flapping after Johansson was conspicuously absent from the Cannes Film Festival, where Penn was promoting new flick,

The Tree of Life

But what caused the ScarPenn romance to fizzle out so quickly?

Us Weekly

claims to have solved the riddle.

The mag claims Penn didn't want to start anything "serious" or be "tied down" after his July 2010 divorce from

Robin Wright

A pal said that "Scarlett pursued him".

Johansson was spotted with Penn at Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards just last week.

"She pushed herself into his conversations. She sat down between him and

Robert De Niro

. Robert was like 'What?' and made a face," says an onlooker.

"A photographer asked for a shot. Before Sean could say no, she said yes."

Split or not, Johansson apparently still wants to be friends.

A source told PopEater: "If you remember after Scarlett confirmed her split from husband Ryan [Reynolds], the two continued to see each other and have dinner together.

"She is incredible. Just because you are no longer with someone doesn't mean you stop caring about them and never want to see them again. She still cares a great deal about Sean and couldn't imagine seeing him at an event or award show and not saying hello. Only children act like that!"

Shania eats it

Oops! Country singer

Shania Twain

came a cropper at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday. Yep, she fell down and went kaboom! Right on her rear end. Almost.

Twain entered the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to introduce the nominees for Best Male Video of the Year. But as she made her way onto the stage, she tripped in her towering heels and fell to her knees.

The consummate pro, Twain picked herself up and soldiered on with the show.

She later posted a video on her website addressing the tumble.

"I just made a complete fool of myself and experienced one of life's most embarrassing moments," she said.

"I don't need a stunt double. I didn't hurt myself. I have a bit of a sore thumb and that's about it."

Check out Twain's fall - and response - below:

And Twain wasn't the only headline-hogger of the evening.

Sheryl Crow

had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction. She accidentally flashed her underwear during her performance with

Kid Rock

Crow, who was wearing a white jacket and short skit while sitting on a stool, uncrossed her legs and gave the audience

an eyeful

of her underwear.

Very

Sharon Stone

Of course, the moment went viral on Twitter, prompting Crow to address the mishap later in the show.

"Okay, I'm just going to address the elephant in the room," Sheryl told the crowd, "People all over America are tweeting that I was wearing a really short skirt when I sang with Kid Rock and that when I got up off the stool, I showed my underwear," said Crow while presenting an award with country star

Sara Evans

"Well, at least you were wearing underwear," Evans told Crow.

"I was wearing underwear because I'm good, clean, wholesome family fun," Crow joked.

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