Showbiz: Mum's words on Eminem

A Michigan judge has ruled that Eminem's mother is entitled to only about $US1600 ($3863) of a $US25,000 settlement she won against her son.

Debbie Mathers originally brought a $US11 million lawsuit against the hip-hop star in 1999. In June, Judge Mark Switalski ruled in her favour for $US25,000. But now Switalski has ruled that $US23,354 of that figure belonged to Mathers' attorney, Fred Gibson.

Mathers sued her son for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress over lyrics on his debut CD, The Slim Shady LP. Mathers told the Detroit Free Press she is writing a book about her life raising Eminem.

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Hollywood hardman Vinnie Jones had the co-stars of his new soccer-based movie wincing when he insisted that all the action should be genuine.

The man, who was feared by fellow players for his no-nonsense approach to the game, is starring in a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds brutal classic, The Mean Machine.

In the new British version Jones plays a former professional footballer who winds up in prison and organises a team of inmates to take on the prison guards. With Jones as an adviser on the film, the man renowned as England's toughest footballer made sure all the scenes were as genuine as possible.

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Rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight, who co-founded Death Row Records, has been released from prison in Oregon after serving nearly five years behind bars.

The 36-year-old served more than half of a nine-year term for violating probation on assault charges from a fight at a Las Vegas hotel in September 1996. Hours after the fight, rap star Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting as he rode in Knight's car.

Knight told the Los Angeles Times he's relieved to be out of prison and looks forward to returning to work at Death Row Records. "I'm stress-free," Knight said. "I want to try to do better things. Watch me. I'm going to the studio tonight."