WHY ARE THEY FAMOUS? Diana Ross
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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Main claim
Uber-diva. Spangly superstar strutting her stuff on the world's stage over four decades. Now Diana Ross, crooner of "Baby Love", and temperamental icon with ever-ready grin, has had a spot of bother at Heathrow Airport. In tabloid-speak, she "flipped" over an airport search, alleging that a female security guard touched her breasts when frisking her. La Ross reportedly retaliated by rubbing her hands down the girl's front, asking, "How do you like it?" Airport rozzers delayed the spangly one's Concorde, made an exciting arrest, hauled off the "sobbing" superstar and quizzed her for five hours. (Never mind that she allegedly grabbed rap star Lil' Kim's boob at the recent MTV video awards ceremony.) Ross claims she may not come back to Britain - what a threat! "I am a huggy person. I don't mind being touched - but not in this way." Oh, and her new single, "Not Over You Yet", is out soon.
Appearance
Hair-tossing diva. Leather-jacketed primadonna. Camera-happy girl panda. Cher meets Michael Jackson with pillar-box grin.
Rags to riches
Said supernova, 55, clawed her way out of Detroit's ghettos with seminal Motown girl group The Supremes - later, ahem, Diana Ross and The Supremes. While she soared to solo stardom in 1970, sister Supremes accused her of control freakdom.
Primadonna
Our heroine has enjoyed a series of hits such as "Chain Reaction". She was Oscar-nominated for playing Billie Holliday in Lady Sings the Blues. She is allegedly known as Ross the Boss because of tantrums and being, er, on the challenging side to work with.
Baby loves
Ross's first husband was press agent Bob Silberstein. She had three daughters - Tracee, Rhonda and Chudnee. Ross later admitted her first daughter was by Motown boss Berry Gordy. Quelle scandale! She later married Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Naess, and gave birth to sons Ross (come now, Miss Ross) and Evan. The marriage ended this April after 13 years.
Fame prospects
The odd Heathrow - or Gatwick - skirmish can't go amiss. Belting out "Baby Love" in her nineties and still hauling in the grannies. And how about a child by Michael Jackson...?
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