Chris Brown and Rihanna are taking a break

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

It’s not an official breakup, but Rihanna and Chris Brown are taking some time off from their controversial relationship.

“They’re taking a break,” a source told Us Weekly. “Jay-Z told Rihanna she needs to cut things out with Chris, at least in public.”

Whatever is going on behind closed doors, Rihanna is putting on a good public show of recovery. On March 18, the singer texted Katy Perry and partied with her and Hayden Panettiere at Hollywood hotspot Les Deux, Us Weekly reports.

The public may have no desire to see Brown, who said to be hiding out in a house in Montpelier, Va., although he recently emerged to buy 14 baseball caps at a local Lids store.

“He said, ‘It’s not what it seems’ about the Rihanna situation,” salesperson Shavon Bradshaw told Us Weekly.

Brown was due to appear at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards this Saturday, but took his name out of the running after charges were filed against him in his alleged Feb. 8 assault of Rihanna.

Michael Jackson outraged over IRA comparison
Michael Jackson has been the brunt of jokes for years, but there is a point where he draws the line: terrorism.

During a March 20 broadcast of the BBC’s “The Now Show,” the joke was made, "I can't believe which '80s celebrities I want back less, Michael Jackson or the IRA.”

Jackson, whose comeback tour kicks off this summer, is said to be furious and wants an apology.

According to an “unidentified source” who spoke to UPI, “Michael was told about the comments and was appalled… To compare him to cold-blooded murderers is not funny. It’s highly offensive.”

Paris weighs in on Dora the older, hotter Explorer
The Mattel doll version of Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer is rushing through childhood just like Strawberry Shortcake did last year.

The doll is trying on a controversial new look, trading Dora's signature bowl cut for luxurious highlighted brown locks, and donning a tunic and leggings.

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“I’m glad they kept her dress pink — she looks really cute. And I love her accessories,” Paris Hilton told Life & Style.

Dora’s sexier image may have some moms up in arms, but “Gossip Girl” star Kelly Rutherford lends us some perspective.

“The doll can’t be as racy as ‘Gossip Girl,’” Rutherford told Life & Style. “I think Hermès (Rutherford's 2-year-old son) will adore her!”

Zellweger supports troops
Renee Zellweger’s newest film,“Monsters vs. Aliens,” opens March 27, but instead of heading out on the usual publicity tour, she’s carving out time this week to support the troops.

The actress will appear with longtime Senate candidate Al Franken March 25 at the United Service Organization's annual black-tie awards dinner, where she will introduce recovering service members.

Kudos to Zellweger for being a celeb face behind a cause she actually participates in when there isn’t an event involved. The USO of Metropolitan Washington says Zellweger has visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center several times and she’s gracious with her time when she’s there.

“On her first trip, she was scheduled to meet with patients for two hours, but spent over eight hours visiting with individual battle-wounded service members,” said one organizer.

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Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.

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